Little Red Riding Hood
by Apocalyptic-Wasp
Summary: The smile that formed on the brunette's face could only be described as playful, eyes daring, "Trying to scare me, I see. Well I hate to break it to you baby, but it's not going to work." LxB
1. Chapter 1

**Little Red Riding Hood  
>ONESHOT<br>**

**A/N - Okay so this wasn't inspired by the movie but rather the song (which explains the lyrics). Anyways, I think that's all I have to say, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.  
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_Who's that I see walking in these woods?_

_Why it's little red riding hood._

The trees bristled in the breeze and the stars hid behind the clouds as though they held knowledge of what was brewing below them. The full moon shone eerily through the dark shadow that the clouds created and the terror stricken howls of a tormented beast pierced the night.

Both the predators of the forest and their prey scattered off into different directions, dodging tree stumps and launching themselves over fallen logs and huge boulders. The beast growled as it tore through the thinning forest, practically crying out in delight as it registered the sweet adrenaline that rushed through the veins of the terrified creatures that scattered before it.

But it knew that something so much sweeter awaited it, so naturally it's pace picked up to a supernatural speed, desperate to reach its goal in time.

x-o-x

The beast could smell the rust that festered inside the old red truck, distinguish the worn leather of its seats from the stale stench of tobacco. It growled deeply in its chest as it looked toward the house that the truck was parked by, narrowed eyes watching as the owner of the red monster made her way toward the rusty haven.

The trees hid the beast from view but it saw this young woman just fine. Luscious pink lips, delicious soft curves and firm large breasts. Her hair looked so soft and her skin so smooth that for a moment the beast was mesmerized, but as quickly as it came, it went.

_Hey there Little Red Riding Hood  
>You sure are lookin' good<br>You're everything a big bad wolf would want,_

The woman stopped by the door of her truck and looked over her shoulder, curious brown eyes peering out over the forest as though feeling the beast's gaze on her. It crouched down lower and then halted all movement, leaves bristling with each panting breath it released.

"I know you're out there….." The human girl murmured quietly and then confidently, she flashed the unseen creature a smirk.

She hauled herself into the cab of the truck and started the engine with a loud roar of protest from the old piece of metal. Slowly the truck started off down the road and the beast wasted no time in creeping along the forests edge, following after the woman with growing intrigue.

The red truck rumbled along the deserted roads at barely fifty miles an hour but still, the beast followed patiently with the knowledge that it would be so worth it in the end.

It remained hidden even as the truck turned off onto a smaller dirt road, twisting and turning with it until the driver came to a stop at the top of a hill.

The brunette slipped out of the truck and glanced behind her with knowing eyes before turning and walking in the direction of the cliffs. The beast stalked behind her obediently as though on a leash, stopping as it crouched down once more in the last of the bushes before it cleared.

The brunette was illuminated by the headlights of her truck, standing statue still at the edge of the sharp drop. The waves crashed against the rocks of the cliff and the sound soothed the beast's impatience. The silence of the forest reigned dominant as the beast awaited some sort of movement from the woman, but still none came.

_Little Red Riding Hood  
>I don't think little big girls should<br>Go walking in these spooky old woods alone._

The beast let out a frustrated growl, hoping to coax some sort of response, almost grinning as the beautiful woman slowly turned around. Curious eyes peered out in the beast's direction but no recognition flashed through her expression, so it knew it was not seen.

The smile that formed on the brunette's face could only be described as playful, eyes daring, "Trying to scare me, I see. Well I hate to break it to you baby, but it's not going to work."

The beast let out a quiet huff of rank breath, eyes narrowing as yet another growl left its lips, only louder than the last. The trees shook and the ground quaked slightly but still the human didn't waver. Instead, she turned to the left and began the trek through the only visible track.

The beast wondered how far the human would make it in the dark, before she tripped and drew blood.

After yet another growl the wolf crept from the safety of the trees and raced behind the truck to avoid the lights, slowing its pace as it launched itself into the forest that followed beside the track.

_What big eyes you have,  
>The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad.<br>So just to see that you don't get chased  
>I think I ought to walk with you for a ways.<em>

The woman walked with a confidence admired by the beast, a strut to her step as her hips swung seductively from side to side. The beast drooled saliva from between its canines, claws flexing as it crept silently through the forest and all the while inhaled the woman's natural scent.

It was so unbelievably sweet and delicious and it demanded that the beast claim the source, take it in its jaws and never let it go. It shook its large head, ignoring the primal urge to devour the woman in, what would be for the beast, the most pleasurable way.

The human came to a halt in the middle of the forest and the beast followed her lead, watching intently as she turned and looked directly into the beast's yellow eyes. It froze completely, disbelief reeling through its head as it recognized the triumphant shine in her gaze.

"Got you," The words were whispered and it seemed as though the moon chose that exact moment to shift. It crept out from behind the sanctuary of the clouds and cast an eerie shadow of the large beast to the human. But the human girl did not fear its presence. She stood tall, "Come out and play, why don't you?"

_What full lips you have  
>They're sure to lure someone bad<br>So, until you get to grandma's place  
>I think you ought to walk, with me and be safe<em>

The beast growled low and deep within its chest and a snarl, so frightening that it shook the ground, escaped its large jaws. It beckoned forth all creatures of the night but those creatures seemed too afraid to answer that call, as they scattered even further away from it.

The brunette didn't so much as flinch at the sound, for she knew there were more dangerous creatures that could lurk in the woods she walked.

"I'm not afraid of you; I don't know why you try." She grinned once more and the beast couldn't fathom what it was seeing. Its primal instincts demanded the beast teach the human a lesson, show itself from the shadows, and scare her so badly that she would quiver at the mere thought of ever entering the forest again. "You won't hurt me, so why don't you come and walk with me? Show yourself at the very least."

The beast tilted its head as though to contemplate the human's wish, but instead growled in warning and crouched down further, away from the moon's shine. The beast's shadow disappeared from view and the smile slipped from the brunette's face, only for it to be replaced with a frown.

_I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on  
>Till I'm sure that you've been shown<br>That I can be trusted walkin' with you alone_

"Fine, be that way."

The human turned back and made her way further into the forest, hips swaying and scent wafting with each quiet step. The beast, convinced that it was nothing but mere curiosity, fell silently in step with her. It longed to simply throw caution to the wind and claw its way into her peripheral vision but instincts kept it at bay, barely content enough to keep at a distance.

_Little Red Ridin' Hood  
>I'd like to hold you if I could<br>But you might think I'm a big bad wolf, so I won't_

For almost ten minutes the only sound that could be heard was the gentle and calm beat of the woman's heart in contrast to the heavy panting of the beast that stalked her. The beast prickled at the sound of barely audible voices, those voices being distinct in its befuddled and hazy mind no matter the distance.

Its chest rumbled with despise, and hatred so strong assaulted the creature of terror that it had to clench its canines to prevent a snarl from escaping. Distance between those now less enhanced hearers and the beast itself were closing. Discretion was the key to being undetected by those who spoke in the closing distance.

The path wound around the old trees and yet still the human woman walked, unconcerned that there was in fact a beseeching gaze upon her back, watching her every step.

A realization so forceful and, in the beast's mind, so loathsome enveloped its heart, seizing it and demanding some sort of immediate action. The trees became farer and fewer between and thinned to the point of barely concealing the beast.

The human stopped and so too did the beast, only further behind. The forest no longer concealed the beautiful brunette.

The human did not turn but the beast did suddenly find its massive paws to have a mind of their own. The sound of crunching gravel accompanied the beast's cautious advance onto the rocky path.

_What a big heart I have  
>The better to love you with<br>Little Red Ridin' Hood  
>Even bad wolves can be good<em>

The beast indulged in the hitch of the human's unsuspecting breath. She did not expect it to show itself.

It advanced slowly, unearthly yellow eyes scanning her body from head to toe, taking in the sweet scent of her pale skin and luscious flowing chocolate coloured hair. The breeze seemed to be in the beast's favor tonight.

"And so you have a heart after all." The beast merely released a gust of warm breath, growling quietly, whimpering almost, deep in its chest. "Don't try that with me, this is of your doing." Her once confident voice faltered and her next words were nothing but a whisper, "Things could be different for you and me."

The woman's words were like a knife to the beast's already conquered heart, cutting it open to reveal its unreasonable cruelty and displaying in front of a gathering of small children. The creature's advance faltered but with a renewed strength and determination, it crept forth until the warm breath could be felt on the human's neck.

Everything ceased to exist in that moment but the beast and the human, isolated alone in their torment and conflicted emotions. The human did not move as the sound of lacerated bones piercing flesh sounded behind her and a grunt, less feral, sounded at her ear.

Silence followed the horrid sound and it was then that the beast closed the distance between them. No longer did the canines mutilate its jaw and no longer did the coarse fur that had covered its body stand between them.

The beast no longer stood above the human girl but rather only slightly taller and instead of a disgustingly frightening body crushing the brunette, it was a pair of warm arms that wrapped around her, securing her to the naked body behind her.

Large breasts pressed into the brunette's back and one deliciously soft sun-kissed hand found its way into her pants and between her thighs. The woman who stood behind her was as much a stranger to the brunette that she had been as the beast.

A nip to her ear had the brunette quivering for reasons that the beast had never wanted to embrace, due to her own stubbornness.

_I'll try to be satisfied  
>Just to walk close by your side<br>Maybe you'll see things my way  
>Before we get to grandma's place<em>

"Who would've thought little Bella Swan could make a creature like me desire her so horribly!"

The sneer was delivered straight into her ear from the once beast behind her. The woman stroked softly at the slick flesh of the brunette's pussy, growling quietly to ensure they were not looked upon by the people crowded in the house only 100 metres away.

"Oh if you only knew how badly I wish to pull you into the calm of the forest and take you in every way possible. Oh how I desire you, Bella!"

Bella trembled in her arms and a whisper so faint but oh so passionate escaped her lips, "Leah….."

The woman heard her name being whispered and couldn't stop herself from dipping her finger teasingly between the folds of her pussy. She growled inaudibly, "I hate you!"

Regaining just that tiny amount of control once more, Bella's eyes fluttered open and she realised just who it was that had their hand between her legs. The hand was unbelievable gentle as it stroked her lovingly in contrast to the words that had left Leah's lips.

Leah Clearwater's hand, head, fingers and every other possible instrument at the woman's disposal belonged between the thighs of Isabella Swan. She knew it, Leah knew it, and the Pack knew it….even those goddamn human loving leeches knew it! And yet here they were, hiding, playing and fooling around, admitting their hate for each other while still managing to be intimate.

Bella despised the fact that she craved Leah's touch and Leah despised her wolf's always constant craving to be near the insufferable human; the human, her imprint that was fucking her own Alpha, Jacob Black.

Jealousy raged through Leah at the thought of that mongrel touching her imprint in the one place that was destined for her. Secretly the two women loved the electricity that flowed between them but neither would ever admit it; they hated the idea of being with each other more. Leah couldn't and Bella wouldn't.

Bella tried to pull away but found it impossible and eventually gave in to the pleasure the woman behind her was forcing upon her. The strokes on her clit became desperate and angry lips and teeth assaulted the back of her neck until the pleasure became too much.

Leah listened to the human whimper as she came on her hand and she couldn't help but smirk condescendingly. She leant in and brushed her lips tenderly against the lobe of her ear.

"I despise myself for wanting you so badly." She hated herself for saying it but it was beyond her control.

She pulled her hands from between Bella's thighs and released her hold on the pale woman. Bella turned around and crashed her mouth violently to Leah's biting her lover's lips angrily as hands groped and wandered between them.

The anger, the hatred, the torment and the stubbornness was there but behind them all there was the franticness of desperation, love and craving.

They broke apart panting, Bella's hands tugging the short locks of the wolf's silky hair, glares on their faces. They stepped away from each other, Leah backwards into the forest and Bella in the direction of Jacob's house.

Without a word the delicious brunette turned her back to the woman and walked leisurely toward where her boyfriend and the Pack resided.

"And I despise myself for loving such a heartless bitch." If only those words were true.

Bella's voice was calm as though she had not just come undone at the other woman's expert fingers. She acted as though she had not just been unfaithful to her loving boyfriend in his own backyard for the fifth time this month. She acted as though she truly despised having to love Leah, when in fact she was crippled with the pain of having the wolf not want to be with her; imprint or not.

Leah's lip twitched upward in a self-loathing and sad smirk, eyes filled with the tears her imprint would never see, "The heartless bitch my tribe made me…."

_Little Red Ridin' Hood  
>You sure are lookin' good<br>You're everything a big bad wolf could want._

She watched the gorgeous brunette until she was safely within Jacob's shabby house, all the while thinking, _Jacob Black is a dead man._ Then with a sneer on her face, Leah made her way back into the forest and toward the rusting red truck where she knew she could safely wallow in the lingering scent of her stolen imprint.

Jacob Black had stolen her soul mate and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. At least not yet.

_XxXxXxXx_

_If your confused about the whole 'stolen her soul mate' thing, what I mean is that he used Alpha's orders to keep Leah away from her imprint. Yes, I know they can't do that in the book but the is fanfiction, so anythings possible :)  
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_Leave me a review and let me know what you thought.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART 2 **

**A/N - Hey guys! So I've decided to continue this into a multi-chaper story, but I honestly don't know how many chapters there'll be. It won't be huge, but it'll be something. I want to thank all of you who reviewed, you guys are awesome, so please keep them coming :)  
><strong>

**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.**

"Leah? Are you listening to a damn word I'm saying?"

The agitated leaves of the forest's trees whipped back and forth violently due to the continuous gusts of wind. The sun was shacked away behind the dark storm clouds and the daylight was slowly disappearing to mark the end of yet another miserable day.

At least that's how Leah saw it.

She stood there in the middle of the forest, none to inconspicuously, with her arms folded and a sneer on her face. Her ferocious narrowed gaze never left her Alpha, but the reason wasn't because she was listening to what he was saying, it was simply because she was plotting his disgustingly gruesome death. Oh how sweet that would be...

She'd isolate him from the tribe, disgrace him and then she'd stalk him through the forest where she would proceed to peel off the flesh of his skin little by little, the whole time basking in his screams. Oh yes, very sweet indeed.

The way Jacob Black looked at her now, a superior glare on his face as he stared down at her, had her blood boiling and her fists clenching at her sides. However, as she glanced around she knew that even if she could break his orders, she doubted the others would help her. The only hope she had was Seth, and she knew that no matter how badly she hated her Alpha, she wouldn't risk her brother's safety.

So with great restraint she exhaled heavily and forced her fists to slacken by her sides. She sneered at Jacob distastefully.

"I make a habit of not listening to fuckwits." The majority of the Pack growled.

"Hey! Show some fucking respect you carpet munching dyke!"

Leah rolled her eyes, "So charming Paul, no wonder the girls are waiting in line." She made sure to lay the sarcasm on deliciously thick.

"Why you little-"

"Enough!" Jacob barked thunderously. He stepped forward and Leah swallowed heavily and automatically took a step back, hating herself for fearing the man in front of her. It was no secret that he could kick her arse and he'd done it before just to prove it. "You got something you need to say Leah?"

Her breathing became heavier and she was almost positive that he knew exactly how afraid she was of him, judging by the amused gleam in his eyes.

"Come on Lee-lee, tell us what's going on in that pretty little head of yours!" He taunted with a chuckle, taking another step forward as the rest of the pack laughed. She matched his approach with a step backwards, not at all eager to have the distance between them come to a close. "What's wrong? No bite to your bark?"

She clenched her jaw, eyes glancing back and forth between her nervous brother and her arrogant Alpha, "I don't want to fight."

Jacob stopped his advance and his lips tugged upwards into a triumphant smirk, "So I'll repeat the question shall I? No bite to your bark, Leah?"

Her eyes never strayed from her Alpha's but she could see Jacob's cronies smirking smugly from behind him; Paul, Jared, Quil and Embry. Seth stood separated from them with a grim looking Sam beside him, the both of them powerless to interfere in Jacob's mockery.

Leah took a deep breath, resisting the urge to mouth off at him and make matters worse. The vicious wind licked at her flesh as her head lowered. "No. You win."

He stared at her lowered head for a moment before turning his back with a scoff, satisfied that she could recognise his superiority, "Don't forget it. Enjoy night shift bitch."

Embry snickered and followed Jacob's lead back into the forest, Paul, Jared and Quil sauntering off behind him with similar attitudes. Everything remained silent for a few moments as Leah's anger stewed angrily within her, hands fisting by her sides once more as she glared at the ground.

What right did he have? He acted as though he'd been kissed on the dick by a fucking fairy! Like he was someone special and fucking almighty!

"Leah, calm down." Sam's gentle voice reached her through her haze of murderous thoughts but it did nothing to sooth her. "Do not let them get to you."

Leah laughed bitterly and looked up at the two pack members who had yet to mock her, eyes zeroing in on the man she had once loved. "Don't even go there Sam. I have patrol, so just leave me alone. I'm not in goddamn mood."

Sam sighed sadly, sympathy swirling in his compassionate gaze, "We'll find a way around his orders Leah, he can't steal your imprint without consequences."

"What are we supposed to do Sam?" She hissed angrily, a growl leaving her lips, "He's already gotten away with it! The council, the Pack, my own goddamn father agree with that arsehole!"

"It's not their decision to make. It's yours and Bella's." Seth scratched his neck and glanced around the boulder-like trees for any sign of their Alpha. "I know I don't know the details or anything, but you said so yourself that Bella can feel the pull of the imprint."

"She thinks I hate her...but I know she'd leave him for me if I asked her too, if she knew how much I love her." She whispered quietly. That alone was a very rare occurrence.

"How do you know that?" Sam enquired in curiosity, though his tone remained gentle. So strange and soothing compared to the atrocious weather that lashed around them."How do you know that she simply wouldn't break your heart?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously at his words, "Shut your mouth Sam, you don't know anything about my extremely _complicated _relationship with Bella. She's my imprint!"

Lightening crashed with striking beauty above them but it went unnoticed by all three of the werewolves.

"Guys please! This isn't helping anything." Seth's voice quivered with frustration. Why did they have to start now? He turned his eyes to Sam, "How would we go about this without everybody else finding out? They find out and they'll forbid it before Leah even gets the chance."

As the wind howled and the sky darkened further, the three stood in a semi circle in complete and utter silence. It was eerie. The rain started to fall and gradually it grew heavier and heavier until the three werewolves were dripping wet. The ground, which had started to harden and dry out during the day, was now sludgy beneath their bare feet, seeping between their toes disgustingly.

"This is ridiculous. Do you honestly think I haven't thought about this?" Leah finally muttered. Angrily.

"No, there's a way. There is always a way Leah." She looked up at the sound of Sam's wistful voice, water dripping steadily down her scowling face. Leah wanted to question why he was staring at the ground as though it held all the answers, but opted to keep her mouth shut instead. She'd just make things worse. He looked up with a set jaw, "We're going to go see your mother."

Thunder crashed furiously above them and the rain seemed to fall even heavier in a splattering fashion against them.

"What? Why?" Seth clenched his jaw and his eyes narrowed, "Why would we bring our mother into this?"

"The current council members won't take our side but Sue will. Sue is the rightful owner to a place among the tribe council, not Harry. He's only there because the tribe don't like the idea of having women make such important decisions."

This wasn't news to either of the siblings but Leah could admit she hadn't thought of that as a solution. She fisted her hands and the muscles in her arms burned slightly at the pressure. Did she really want to involve her mother? Could she really be that selfish?

Sam stepped forward, toes sinking into the sticky depths of the mud with the movement, "This is your decision Leah. I won't do anything if that's your wish."

They locked gazes for a brief moment as Leah's mind whirled with the pros and cons of what they wanted to do. She knew there was a possibility that her mother would refuse to help, because she definitely wasn't oblivious to the La Push Pack or the leeches over the border, but she was oblivious to her husband's lies. Maybe she'd defend him when they told her.

"Do you think she knows that they purposely ignored her place among the council?" Seth wondered. He made a good point, and that just made Leah angry.

"Of course she doesn't fucking know Seth! God, they're such a bunch of arseholes!" She fumed silently. Leah could barely contain her anger but she resisted the urge to explode into a wolf and instead turned on her heels with a squelch and stormed off into forest, "Fuck them all! I want my imprint and if our mother is the only way for me to get that, then so fucking be it!"

The three Quileute's united on the forest floor with growls of primal power. Their heavy paws tore up the earth and their hot panting breaths were visible in the chilly air that surrounded them. They didn't consciously speak to each other, and Leah successfully blocked both her brother and Sam's thoughts. She had no interest in listening to them.

They shifted back at the forests edge by the Clearwater's house then slipped on their clothes and made the short walk up to the small house. Leah was relieved to see her father's truck gone.

Sue was cooking when all three of them walked into the house and even though she greeted them with a smile, her distaste for Sam was clear in her eyes.

"Shouldn't you three be at Billy's by now?"

Leah watched her mother with a frown as she stacked the food she'd just cooked into a container, ready to take to the bonfire. She hummed happily and danced to the fridge, grabbing the already prepared salads and stacking them on the counter.

"Sue, we were hoping to discuss something with you tonight...before the bonfire." None of the werewolves shifted from their positions at Sam's words, refusing to budge even as Sue continued to hustle around the kitchen. "Please Sue, this is serious and we don't have long."

Those words seemed to penetrate her brain for she halted her movements immediately, casting the taller man a concerned frown.

"Are you in trouble?" He shook his head and watched as the glanced between her two children, "So one of you are?"

"Nobody's in trouble like that mum, but we really need to speak to you about something." Seth begged gently, pouting out his lower lip as he noticed her posture slacken slightly. He went in for the kill, and Leah could barely contain her eye roll at what he did next. His lip trembled and his eyes shone with tears, "Please mum."

Is she really falling for this?

Apparently she was because the next thing Leah knew, Seth had managed to sit their mother on the stool by the counter. He sat on one beside her and took her smaller hand in his. The difference in size was almost comical.

"Okay, now will you tell me what's going on? You're all acting so serious, and it's starting to worry me." She cast her conflicted gaze between all three.

The tension was thick and it took only a few minutes of silence for Leah to start fiddling. She leant against the doorway and ended up crossing her arms, unsure of how to begin this dreaded conversation. Sam took the initiative and cleared his throat.

"Before we tell you anything Sue, you must _promise _on your children's lives that you will not mention this to anybody outside the four of us. Not Harry, not Pack...not even the Council, alright?"

"You can't be serious! Surely it's not that bad." She argued in barely contained outrage. Leah growled.

"Just promise, okay? If they find out, you won't have to worry about my life anymore because I'll sooner end my own life then allow them to punish me further."

"Leah!" Seth and his mothers' horrified gasps echoed off the walls, but it did nothing to sooth the bitter resentment that flowed through her veins.

She growled and bawled her hands into fists, as seemed to be their only position lately, and only released them from their pain when she felt Sam place a hand on her shoulder.

"Leah,"

She took in his warning with a minimal guilt. Why should she feel guilty for stating the truth? She relaxed her stance and with a sigh of defeat, Leah mumbled her half-hearted apology.

"Sue? Do you promise?"

A purse of her lips and then a stiff, almost reluctant nod was the only response they got from the older woman and Leah couldn't blame her. She would rather keep her mother from her problems, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she found out. She just wished it wasn't her who had to tell her that her husband was a prick. A homophobic prick.

The three werewolves glanced at each other with uncertainty, not exactly knowing where to begin. This was most likely going to cause uproar among the tribe and even possibly Harry and Sue's marriage. Both siblings knew that what they wanted to tell her would destroy her.

Leah rubbed her face in exhaustion and her hatred for Jacob only increased as she realised she'd been exiled to patrol all night, regardless that the chance of a vampire attacking the tribe was slim to none. The stupid arsehole was doing it just to be an even bigger prick than usual.

"Mum..." Seth started the dreaded conversation with a sense of hesitancy. He lowered his head to avoid her burning gaze and sighed heavily. "Dad and the council have been lying to you."

"Lying to me about what?" She questioned. When her son didn't answer, she looked up at her daughter for some sort of response, "Leah? What are they lying about?"

Leah scoffed, "What aren't they lying about? That'd be a much shorter list."

"Please just tell me." The frustration that shook Sue's voice caused her daughter look at her in silent apology, and with a small stiff smile Sue assured Leah she wasn't angry. That did nothing to calm her nerves though.

"I imprinted on a woman and the council and the pack have forbidden me to be with her!" Well that was subtle.

There was a deafening silence at Leah's words and with bated breath they awaited some sort of reaction out of the older woman who sat beside Seth. She did nothing however. She didn't blink, Leah wasn't even sure she was breathing. She was just looking at her daughter with an expression that set Leah's nerves haywire.

"What do you mean they've _forbidden_ you from being with her?" Calm, smooth but scarily so. Leah swallowed back her fear at the fury she found swimming in her mother's gaze.

"I mean they had Jacob use Alpha's orders on me to stop me from admitting my feelings for her, so that he could weasel his way in and steal her from right under my nose!"

That was all it took.

Sue lost the little ounce of control she had and all Leah could do was smirk inwardly and think _Jacob's a dead man._

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_So there you have it. I know there wasn't any Leah/Bella time but hold tight, they will get to cuddle next chapter :) Leave me a review!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART THREE**

**A/N - Thanks to everybody who reviewed, favourited and alerted my story! You guys are awesome :) Keep them coming!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.**

"What the fuck were they thinking? What the fuck was your goddamn father thinking!"

Leah looked away from Sam's concerned gaze, and watched her mother pace back and forth across the kitchen. It'd been at least half an hour since Leah had finished telling her everything, from the pack's cruelty and their replacing her on the council to Bella being her imprint, and she was still showing no signs of calming down.

"And Billy! The balls of that man! I'm going to tear him another arsehole!"

Leah actually grinned at that one.

"His son's no better! Where does he get off stealing your imprint! Why the fuck does Bella stay with him? Stupid manipulative mutt!"

"Hey hey, now you're insulting us." Seth grumbled, but a glare from his mother shut him up quickly. Leah snickered under her breath as she watched her brother shrink back and visibly flinch, glaring a moment after he heard it, "Shut up Leah!"

"How about we all calm down, so we can help Sue do the same thing." Sam interjected with a roll of his eyes. With a sigh he stood up straight, rolled his shoulders and took a determined breath, cautiously approaching the enraged older woman. "Sue, I think you need to calm down." When the only response he got was an eye roll, he strengthened his resolve, "This is nonsense and it's not helping anyone. Yes, you're angry but this isn't helping anything."

Her eyes narrowed as she stalked toward him, "How am I supposed to react then Sam? Smile and fucking shrug? I don't think so!"

"No, you're supposed to be level headed so we can find a way around the council and the pack. Leah needs your help Sue, and at this particular moment you aren't being all that helpful." He reasoned sensibly.

"Mum maybe...maybe you should stay home tonight? You can't go to the bonfire this riled up, they'll know something's up." Seth stood up and hesitantly placed a hand on the packed food on the bench, not daring to look up at his mother for fear of her reaction, "We'll take the food. You should just stay here and cool down okay? Dad'll probably end up crashing at Billy's, and Leah has patrol...so you'll have the whole place to yourself."

It was deathly silent for a few moments before a shaky exhale of breath broke it. The three werewolves watched her without much discretion, but it was Leah who was possibly the most concerned. If she'd underestimated her mother's control on this issue, then she didn't know what she'd do. Sue was her last hope.

"I think that would be best." Sue finally muttered, "I don't think I'd be any good to anybody tonight." She looked into her daughters eyes, and was momentarily taken back by the misery in her gaze. It was well-hidden but now that she knew it was there and why it was there, it was so clear it was frightening. "Oh Leah sweetheart, I'm so sorry."

The younger woman swallowed heavily and looked pointedly at Sam and her brother before nodding toward the door. They left with sympathetic smiles and the food. As soon as the boys had left and it was only mother and daughter, Sue rushed over to engulf Leah in her arms only to be pushed aside gently.

"I can't do this right now Mum. I wish I could, but I really can't." Though her words were firm, it did nothing to convince her mother. Both their eyes were brimmed with tears and while Sue's fell, Leah refused to allow hers to. "I have to patrol. Jacob will have my arse if he finds out I'm late."

"Leah please," She whispered brokenly, holding her hand out with the hope of having her take it. She couldn't just stand there and not hold her eldest child when it was obvious that she was near breaking point.

"We'll talk tomorrow."

She turned and she left, allowing her tears to fall as she listened to her mother's heartbroken sobs. She should've known she wouldn't have taken it well. Her husband and her tribe had betrayed her and her daughter, and now she had to choose between them.

Leah was fearful on who she would choose, but she knew that if she chose her husband she would not in slightest bit blame her.

x-o-x

That night was chilly but at least the rain had ceased for the most part. The ground was damp and the moon was hidden once more behind dark storm clouds, threatening to unleash upon Leah, who was conveniently running through the forest on the borders of La Push.

She was bored beyond recognition but Jacob insisted on having at least one wolf patrol every night to ensure that no leeches snuck onto their land. It always seemed to skip the Alpha of the pack though. Leah growled and picked up her pace, paws imprinting in the muddy earth in which she ran on.

As she neared a particular part of the forest, the mind boggling scent of the 'vegetarian' leeches over the border burned her nostrils angrily. It was a disgustingly sick scent, something close to the rotting of meat as it festered in the heat with dozens of blow flies buzzing over it. Yeah it was _that _gross.

She raced through that part of the forest quickly.

Hours seemed to pass by and Leah found herself upon the shores of the beach, not a 10 minute walk from where she knew the council and the pack were having their bonfire. As she glanced in the general direction of Billy Black's house, sadness washed over her like the waves on the sand. She wondered if Bella was there. It just made her angry to think that if she was, she'd be lying in Jacob's arms and in Jacob's bed right about now.

She growled under her breath and took a step onto the beach, paws crunching in the gravel-like sand and sinking slightly. There was a log not too far from the murky depths of the water that Leah made for, disinterested in the burnt out charcoal circle that suggested a fire had been lit here some time earlier in the week.

_Fuck Jacob, _she thought stubbornly. Why should she be racing around all night while he lounged around doing fuck all?

With a heavy sigh she collapsed against log, resting her back on it and laying her head upon her paws. The tide washed in and out and the wind, which had been howling earlier, was now less violent but by no means calm.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off, warm in her fur despite the chilled breeze that came off the ocean.

It was in the early hours of the morning that she awoke to the sound of crunching leaves from her left. First thing she did was inhale, relaxing as she found absolutely no trace of vampire's, but growling in confusion as she registered her imprint's scent. What the fuck was she doing out here so early in the morning?

She lifted her head and it seemed as though it was heavier than usually, casting her yellow eyes off to the left and watching with rapt attention as Bella shuffled her way carefully down to the beach. Bella should have been at Billy's in bed with her boyfriend; at least there she was guaranteed to be safe there.

"Stupid dickhead, who does he think he is?" Leah's confusion only increased as she registered the brunette's grumbling.

She watched as her imprint slowly got closer and closer, oblivious to the horse size werewolf that lay on the beach. She clutched her jacket tighter around her body, lips trembling from the cold as her brown hair whipped around her shoulders.

Leah almost smirked when Bella looked up and in her direction, jumping and cursing heavily as she noticed the amused yellow eyes peering over at her through the darkness. It was the only thing of the werewolf visible.

"Jesus Christ Leah, do you think you could make just a little noise?" Bella shook her head and approached the wolf cautiously. She eyed the little cocoon her curled in body made enviously, "You know it's really cold out here, do you mind?" She motioned to that awfully warm looking position.

Leah wanted to shift back just so she could hold the brunette, but she knew that if she did they would just start to argue. Questions would be asked that she couldn't answer. She didn't want that, at least in her wolf form she couldn't open her big fat mouth and say something that would crush the both of them.

Instead she shook her massive fur covered head and shifted slightly to make more room against her stomach. An open invitation that she was thrilled to see her imprint accept by curling into her warmth.

Her heart fluttered and a purr rumbled in her chest, desire, love and lust washing through her like the tide through the pebbled sand. Smooth hands wound into her soft grey fur and a head, so fragile and light, rested on her ribcage innocently. She couldn't see Bella's face, but she imagined she was blushing slightly, feeling each and every heart racing emotion that Leah felt also.

"You're so warm. I could stay here all night." Bella murmured wistfully, a small content smile tugging at her lips, "This is nice."

_It is._

Leah was so glad that none of the other wolves were phased to witness this through her thoughts. They'd be laughing it up at her obvious self-torment.

The silence that followed was peaceful and it was with a quiet exhale, away from the brunette, that Leah dropped her head once more upon her paws, closing her eyes in this rare moment of peacefulness.

"I wish you were this nice to me all the time." Bella's voice wavered slightly, as she shut her eyes and snuggled deeper into the female wolf's warmth, "I miss this sort of innocent contact, you know? All Jacob wants lately is to get into my pants."

Leah's eyes snapped open and her body tensed, a growl of warning leaving her lips. She did not want to talk about that.

Bella chuckled humourlessly and Leah could hear the bitterness in it, "Oh so now you care? I really don't understand you Leah, at all." She sat up straighter and waited until the wolf shifted so that her yellow eyes came to rest on her brown ones.

Leah cringed at the sight of her quivering lip and her tear brimmed eyes that had nothing to do with the cool weather. Leah looked down shamefully.

_I'm sorry. I love you._

She only wished she could say it out loud.

"What is it you want from me? I care about you so damn much Leah, and its times like this that I think you feel the same, but then when you speak to me, you're always so hostile and domineering. You just want to get in my pants for the same reason Jacob does!" She shouted angrily, wiping at her tears, "You don't care about me. You just want to fuck with me. And you know what? It works. Some days it fucking cripples me to know that you find my pain so goddamn amusing!"

Leah's heart was breaking all over again. She wanted to shout that none of that was true! She wanted to shower her with loving kisses and tell her how much she meant to her, how much she loved her, but it was useless. The Alpha's order took away her free will. She couldn't do it.

Her imprint sat there against her body, crying and flustered as she let her emotions get the better of her. She couldn't see the guilt in Leah's yellow eyes, or the love that whirled within them just for her. She saw only her actions and her words.

"I hate the way you make me feel and I hate that I love you so fucking much." She whispered shakily, making to stand. Leah wouldn't have that, and used her head to nudge her back down and against her body. She rested her head on Bella's lap to stop her from moving, whining low in her throat. "What are you doing? Let me go Leah." The words were weak, and it killed the female wolf to hear the pain in her voice.

_I'm sorry Bella, I'm so sorry. I love you._

Leah didn't move her head, but instead looked up at her imprint with her bright yellow eyes, pleading without words for her to see the torment in them. She lost herself in the chocolate mocha eyes for what seemed like an eternity and when she read the uncertainty in her eyes her heart seized painfully once more.

Why was everything so difficult?

There was no way to possibly respond verbally, so with little effort she shifted her head higher on her lap, nudging her stomach gently, begging for some sort of understanding.

Bella hesitantly lifted her hands and when Leah didn't making any objections, she placed them upon her head, stroking down to her ears and back up gently.

"I wish I could understand you but more than that, I wish you'd let me." Bella whispered sadly, eyes watching her own ministrations, "Why won't you let me in?" Her fingers stopped and when she glanced down into those familiar yellow eyes, she saw what Leah had been trying to say for months. She saw the pain, the regret and guilt...the love. Her eyes watered once more, "Leah?"

Was she seeing things?

She just wanted some sort of confirmation, because she was almost certain that her eyes were playing tricks on her. As soon as she heard the strangled cry from the female wolf, she could barely suppress her tears any longer.

"Oh my god..." She whispered tearfully, hands leaving Leah's head to cup her own mouth and prevent herself from completely breaking down. So many things ran through her at that moment, but the only thing she could get out was a small sob as she tried desperately not to make a fool of herself. "Do you...d-do you-"

Leah growled abruptly and successfully cut her imprint off. She couldn't let her finish that question, because she knew that if she did she wouldn't be able to answer her and they would both be left feeling even worse than they currently were.

If Bella asked if she loved her, the Alpha's orders would come into effect and she would be useless to stop herself from not answering or showing her imprint just how much she truly meant to her.

Leah nudged Bella when she noticed her lip trembling once more and her hands falling to her sides dejectedly. She nuzzled her snout into the brunette's soft side, letting out a small whimper of begging. It was pathetic really, but Leah could care less how she acted around her beautiful brunette.

A sob wracked through the human's body, and Leah was useless to respond as she felt those warm soft hands on her head. Lifting her head, yellow locked with teary brown and it was in that moment that everything seemed to finally shift into place in the universe.

Leah whimpered, and a shaky smile found its way onto Bella's face, brown eyes shining with hope and love and so many other emotions that Leah thought she would never see. Her yellow eyes fluttered shut behind her lids as she purred deep in her chest, basking in the sensual movement of her imprint's fingers around her ear.

"You do love me, I knew you did!" She whispered passionately into the night, enjoying how it sounded far too much. Leah loved her! "I told Jake you loved me and that I had a chance and he laughed in my face!"

"That's because it isn't going to happen, whether you want it to or not."

Leah growled loudly and jumped to her feet, snarling angrily as she placed herself strategically in front of her imprint. Leah realised with a start that the sun was beginning to rise in the distance already, and growled as her Alpha walked casually down the path Bella had taken not too long ago. He was barely visible to any humans, but Bella could see his dark silhouette from behind Leah and that was enough.

It was eerie to say the least and she couldn't stop the fearful shudder that ran through her at the sight. She'd never been afraid of Jacob Black before. Leah, however, wasn't afraid but furious as she crouched down defensively, wanting to rip the arrogant smirk straight off his face. She repeated Bella's question through her head over and over, growling it hatefully. Who did he think he was?

He stopped a safe distance from the phased wolf, Embry and Paul flanking his side back a few metres. He tucked his hands into his pockets and grinned haughtily, looking between the werewolf and his girlfriend.

"Well isn't this interesting? Leah found a way past my orders," His face hardened and his eyes narrowed, "We can't have that now, can we?"

Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

_xXxXxXxXx_

_I was gonna update last night but fanfiction was fucking up on me, so my apologies. Review :)  
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	4. Chapter 4

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART FOUR**

**A/N - Hey guys! Sorry for making you wait so long, but I've been sick so I had a lot of work to catch up on for school. Anyways, I want to thank you for the reviews, they make me incredibly happy :) Enjoy the chapter and leave me a review!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.**

Jacob's superior glare never wavered from Leah's, his fists never clenched and he showed no outward signs of the anger he felt apart from his expression. Paul and Embry were just as controlled as their Alpha, standing with a casualness that had even Leah feeling extremely cautious.

"Phase. Now."

The order boomed through Jacob's chest with a sense of finality and Leah was useless to stop the force of it ringing through her. She trembled desperately, trying to stop her wolf's reaction to her Alpha's orders but ultimately crumpled under its power.

She fell to her knees once she'd phased back, panting heavily from the exertion of trying to defy Jacob. It wasn't fair. Her naked body was there for all to see and she couldn't stop the shudder of disgust that shot through her as Embry, Paul _and_ Jacob's gazes lingered on her exposed flesh.

She crossed her arms over her chest and went to stand but a bark from her Alpha caused Leah's knees to collapse beneath her once more, and fall angrily onto her knees.

"Stay down Leah!"

Bella stood uncertainly beside the female werewolf, eyes going back and forth between Leah's naked body and her soon to be ex-boyfriend. She was afraid, terrified actually, of the vengeful glaze in Jacob's eyes and even though she knew it was inappropriate, she was finding it hard to keep her eyes to herself when it came to the woman beside her. Leah was the woman of her dreams for Christ sakes and she was naked!

_I wonder what she feels like._

She shook her head. Now was definitely not the time to be having those particular thoughts. She wondered with concern why Leah wasn't getting back up, wondering in confusion why she was actually listening to Jacob.

Something wasn't right, and her panic grew slightly.

"Jacob what are you doing? Stop it!" The brunette went to step forward but faltered as he turned his dark eyes on her.

"Confused as to why your beloved little slut won't fight back? It's because she knows you aren't worth it. Isn't that right, Leah?" When Leah couldn't deny it, his laughter echoed off the tree's behind them.

Bella felt as though her heart would implode at the pathetic silence following. Did she seriously not care? She glanced down at the female werewolf, confused as to why she was glaring in despise at Jacob. They seemed to be locked in their own little world of hatred, and Bella didn't understand what was going on.

"What's the matter Lee-Lee? Cat got your tongue?" He taunted.

Leah growled furiously and not in the slightest bit worried about her lack of clothing she dropped her arm from its position in front of her chest, only to fist them at her sides, barely feeling the pain of her nails cutting into her palms at the force behind it.

"Fuck you!"

"Tempting but, no thank you. I like your brunette so much more. She's pretty responsive in bed, ya know?" Grinning he watched as Leah's body began to shake once more in pure fury. "Oh wait! You wouldn't would you? She's not your girlfriend, she's _mine!_"

"Jacob, quit it! What the hell is your problem?" Bella snapped in both embarrassment and anger. Her face was flushed and her heart was racing, and though she was oblivious to the danger she was in, Leah wasn't. "Why are you being such a prick?"

"Bella, leave it! Just turn around and go home!" This time Leah's anger was directed at her.

The brunette looked taken aback for a moment and with the intention of spouting off at Leah, she narrowed her eyes in a way that Leah would've cowered had they been a different situation. However, the glare fell from Bella's face as their eyes locked and she read the fear in them. It wasn't confirmed but she just knew that the fear in Leah's eyes wasn't for herself.

Leah was afraid for Bella.

The human looked back over to her boyfriend with uncertainty and regardless of the fear she felt, she turned back to Leah, her face set with determination.

"I'm not leaving your side. I love you, and now that I _know _you feel the same..." In her peripheral vision Bella could see Jacob clenching his fists and his jaw, but she didn't break her gaze with Leah. She wasn't cowardly enough to leave the woman she loved with her enraged boyfriend. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Get away from her, Bella!" Leah watched as her Alpha convulsed subtly under his skin, barely visible to any human including her imprint. Bella didn't budge despite Leah's silent pleads for her to leave. It was when Jacob took a threatening step forward that Bella realised how deep in the shit she was. "I said now Bella!"

"Your Alpha orders don't fucking work on her dickhead, so quit trying to dominate her!" Leah had had enough. She snarled from where she knelt, glaring contemptuously at him.

"I've already dominated her, time and time again, so I would suggest you _shut up!_" He growled angrily, "Your talking has only succeeded in turning my girlfriend against me!"

"If you think I'm going to be your girlfriend after this then you sorely mistaken." She informed him with a shaky breath, brown eyes narrowing in accusation and hurt, "You knew all this time Jacob. You knew she loved me, but you had to be a possessive arsehole and lie to my face! You forced Leah to lie to my goddamn face!"

Leah was frozen in distress as she watched her Alpha's fury grow.

"What kind of cowardly bastard are you?"

Leah watched helplessly as Jacob came apart at the seams, biceps bulging disgustingly as his fists began to shake horribly. It was a little too late that Bella realised she'd gone too far on testing his control, stepping backwards and placing herself conveniently beside Leah once more. Whether that mattered, she wasn't so sure.

"The relationship you want with her is a sin! You're better off with me, and yet you're willing to just fucking leave me for pussy!" He roared, body convulsing violently now, "You're ruined, she fucking ruined you!"

Jacob strode toward Bella angrily and Leah's own animosity toward him festered as he snatched her in a rage, pulling her roughly into his body.

Leah wanted to shout, roar in fury at the action but her head actually ached at the force she put into trying to defy his orders. And so she thrashed helplessly on the ground, as the man she hated with every fibre of her being man-handled her imprint.

"Jacob, let me go!" Bella tried to pull away from the painful grip he had on her, but that only succeeded in angering him more. He tore the sleeve from her jacket and stuffed it in her open mouth to shut her up, his hands keeping her struggling ones indispensable.

"You're ruined." He repeated in a mad growl, dropping his head to her throat so he could lick her delicious skin. She was ruined in the head for any man but that didn't mean her body was ruined. She shuddered in fear and tried to pull away again, whimpering loudly when she realised her attempts were futile. "Do you see what she's done to you, Bella? She's corrupted you into her own disgusting desires for the same sex! You're ruined!"

Leah thrashed against her mental bindings, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she sensed the danger her imprint was in. She could see it in Jacob's posture and his words, and the severity of the situation was proven much to her horror as he began tugging furiously at her jeans. He cared nothing for the muted cries of the brunette, or even the tears that flowed freely down her terrified face.

Embry and Paul were watching with rapt attention, hungry eyes leering at Bella as their Alpha managed to rip the material roughly from her body. Seeing it through Jacob's mind when they were phased was nothing compared to seeing it live. Bella was even more beautiful than they had first thought.

Leah's resentment, her despise for Jacob and her fear for her imprint began to boil even wilder beneath her flesh, her brain being pounded by the terrified cries that Bella made. Leah tried with all her might to stand, to do something.

It was almost in slow motion that she watched her Alpha push Bella to the ground and climb over of her, his hands bruising her thighs as he pried them open, dodging her kicks and ignoring her thrashing body.

Leah's head throbbed from the exertion and a blinding pain shot through her head at the moment his hold over her ignited and smouldered away to nothing. She shot up off the ground with a tormented snarl and faster than she thought possible, exploded in the most violent way into her now uncontrollable wolf. Paul and Embry were too taken aback by the whole thing to stop her before she was knocking Jacob from Bella's trembling and bruised body.

She growled so loudly that it shook the trees, the ground shuddering at the force in which she came down on her former Alpha. Her claws dug into the flesh of his arms and his pained curses barely registered in her crazed mind. It was with a frightening roar that she dove open mouthed for his head, teeth glistening in testament to her murderous intent.

_How dare he touch her!_

Thoroughly distracted as Leah was, she didn't see Paul and Embry coming at her until it was too late. A growl of pain burst forth through her teeth as she was buffeted to the side, razor sharp teeth embedded savagely into the skin of her back as she went tumbling. She wasn't too sure who the set of jaws belonged to.

It was when Jacob stood to his feet and phased that reality set in for Bella, like the heavy mixture of concrete. It weighed her down and made her body's ache all the more prominent, her legs especially, and her sobs refused to cease as she shuffled away from the aggressive clashing of the four snarling werewolves.

The blood was weeping from the wound in Leah's back by the time she'd managed to tear herself away from Paul's eagerly crunching jaws. The three male werewolves cornered her and she, too afraid to turn her back on them, growled in warning.

This wasn't supposed to happen!

Leah's thoughts were screaming at her to just plough through the growling wolves, scoop up her imprint and flee. But where was she supposed to go? La Push was her home and she'd just attacked their golden child. She was in deep shit.

Her wolf roared in determination as Bella's sobs assaulted her, reminding her that the brunette was alone and likely terrified beyond recognition. Jacob was crouched low in front of her, stalking side to side threateningly as his narrowed yellow eyes glared into her own. Taunting, arrogant arsehole.

It was then that she realised she couldn't hear his thoughts or in fact any of their thoughts, and that seemed to make them even angrier. Jacob had no control over her anymore, and it was with that positive thought that she snarled and lunged for his throat.

It was only by sheer luck that he was able to dodge the viscious teeth that would've surely torn through his jugular, eyes widening as they came down on his front leg instead. Her teeth were there for less than a second, his shriek continuing even after she was violently torn from his body, strong jaws gripping her tail and pulling furiously in attempt to free their Alpha.

_Son of a bitch!_

With a yelp Leah was thrown carelessly to the side and instantly pounced on by a snarling Embry. Canines clashed in an open mouthed battle. Splatters of red blood, a mixture of all three wolves, bled into the ground and stained the pebbles they quarrelled on.

Leah could feel her muscles burning with exertion as she fought to get to her feet, hissing as she did only to be knocked down again by Paul. It was useless. Their teeth and claws tore at her flesh, playing her and torturing her without any intention of going for the kill by steering clear of her vital points. This was a game to them, and they knew they were winning.

Pain seared through her with every slash, and each time she tried to get to her feet she'd cry out as one of them knocked her straight back down. Each blow was given to her ribs and it was only a matter of time until one gave way. And give way it did. A shattering howl followed almost immediately after a sickening crack.

The pain was unbearable, and it didn't seem to stop. They didn't seem to want to stop. Her head was throbbing and her panic was reeling as she realised that only two wolves were attacking her. Her yellow eyes fluttered open and through her whimpers of pain and blurry vision, she could make out the struggling of two people. Jacob and Bella.

It was then that Bella's screams and cries registered to her pain riddled form. Panic and rabidity swam within her with a new vigour, a snarl of pure rage bursting through her mouth with an accompanying splatter of blood. A flurry of claws and canines clashed as Leah pushed her screaming muscles to move, lashing out with abandon against her attackers.

She managed to get to her feet and violently thrust her back legs out, claws tearing Embry's chest as they collided, sending him flying backwards and subsequently into a tree. At the same time Paul lunged for her throat, but Leah lost in her emotional state, swiped her front paw out and directly across his face, sending his growling form to the side just as violently as she had done with Embry.

She pushed forth, tearing up the bloodied beach as she did so, seeing only red at the sight of a Jacob holding her imprint down with his own body.

Her jaws crushed his shoulder as they came down on him, lifting and throwing him like a rag doll to the side and giving jack shit about his cry of anguish as he scattered across the beach to land with a painful crash into Paul who was trying to stagger to his feet.

Leah didn't waste another second to admire her destruction, her body was flaring in pain and she could feel herself becoming light headed as her blood leaked steadily from the wounds that covered her flesh. She pushed onwards towards Bella, barely taking in her condition before snatching the jacket she wore on her back between her jaws as gently as possible and lifting her.

She took off into the forest as quickly as she could run, the only thing on her mind as she heard the three werewolves taking chase, being the safety of her imprint. But where could she take her? Her movements were unstable and choppy as she tore between trees, narrowly missing a fallen log here and there.

Leah whimpered the entire time and put extra care into making sure Bella remained safe in her jaws and wasn't knocked around too badly. That hadn't worked out too well as her lack of sounds most likely meant the brunette had fainted. This wasn't good.

As the chasing wolves got closer and closer, she let out a small cry as she forced her body to push harder and harder, running as fast as she possibly could, tearing up the earth in a way she'd never accomplished before. It would've been impressed her at any other time, but now was definitely not the time.

"_Emmett, you're being ridiculous...leave the poor squirrel alone..."_

Leah's ears stood at attention or at least attempted to as she heard the scattered conversation of somebody over the border in the leeches territory. She turned sharply to the left, narrowly dodging a lunge from a snarling Jacob, and continued to zigzag her way toward the grotesque stench that was the vampire's land.

They were her only option. Bella was safer with the blood drinkers than her own tribe.

"_You smell that...yeah the werewolves...what the fuck...blood"_

Leah wasn't sure as to whether they were getting further away or her hearing was cutting out. The trees began to thin out as she got closer to the border, howling through her teeth with so much pain and desperation that she could only pray would convince the leeches to come and investigate.

Luck seemed to be on her side because just as she was dodging the last tree, she noticed two pale figures standing on their side of the creek. They were males that she couldn't name for the life of her, but they held the comforting golden eye colour that assured her they were Cullen's, and that was good enough for her.

A snarl came from behind her, three to be exact, and it was with a sickening sense of horror that she felt a set of sharp claws embedded into her lower back. Her steps faltered and she cried out as her beaten body slammed into the ground, her imprint flying from the relative safety of her jaws and toward the drop into the creek.

_NOOOO! _

She watched in horror, ignoring her pain, as the love of her life tumbled over the edge without so much as a sound. She was passed out after all. It took Leah only a split second to realise that one of the leeches had disappeared, and to her utter relief, the bronze haired vampire returned on his side of the border with her passed out imprint tucked securely in his arms.

"Hey what the fuck do you think you're doing?" It was the larger one without Bella that shouted, growing angrier as he watched three large wolves circle in on one of their own.

It was sudden, the deflation of her adrenaline and determination. The pain intensified considerably and only grew as Leah was weighed down, angry panting hitting the back of her head as claws dug into her front leg.

She lost control of her body and phased back, crying out a high pitched scream at the painful transformation because of her injuries. She didn't even notice when the weight was taken off her and the claws were extracted from her skin.

"You stupid cunt!"

Jacob stood over her fully naked, his forceful hand shooting out to grip her short hair and pull her to her feet, ignoring her cry of protest. He was absolutely livid, his body shaking as he brought his fist into her stomach once, twice...three times.

"Hey! Keep your filthy hands off her!" The same leech. Angrier this time and useless to help. He paced the border, fisting his hands and growling loudly. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Stay out of it, leech!" Jacob snarled, tossing Leah carelessly behind him and into Embry's arms. He took a threatening step forward, eyes dancing wildly on either side of the large male, "Where the fuck is she?"

"Long gone arsehole, now hand the woman over and I promise not to hurt you too badly."

He laughed, turning and hauling a bloodied and torn Leah to kneel before him submissively, "You want this dyke huh? Well you can go fuck yourself!" Kicking her fair in the back, she slammed face first into the ground, crying out as a large foot came repeatedly at her ribs, crushing them under his strength.

Wheezing for breath Leah shot her hand out and knocked him over, growling as the tears fell down her face and she managed to roll onto her back. Her arms were burning as she tried to get to her feet, her hopelessness returning as Jacob appeared above her, his fist smashing angrily into the side of her face.

"Don't try to move you selfish slut. Tell me how the fuck you disobeyed me? I swear I'll beat the living shit out of you until you fucking tell me!" Another crack to the side of her head, adding to the pain as the force sent her head slamming into the dirt beneath her.

She wheezed each breath through aching lungs, and found enough energy to just lift her head. Her face was throbbing and she could feel the blood dripping down her face, obstructing her view of the man above her. With a painful gagging sound, a bloodied pool of saliva shot forth from her split lips and hit Jacob square in the head.

"G-go to hell...you c-cock sucking bast-"

She lurched upward violently as his fist came down on her cracked ribs, crying out despite her tough words at the force behind it.

Emmett watched in horror as the woman was repeatedly hit, blood smearing her body and leaking from the already open wounds that scattered her naked body. The vampire didn't know what to do. If he stepped over the border he'd break the treaty and risk his family's safety and if he didn't, then this woman was possibly going to be killed.

It was when Emmett saw the man above her violently spread her legs that he made his decision. He would NOT stand that. With a snarl that rivalled that of the werewolves, he launched himself over the river and tore straight for the unsuspecting wolf.

He was outnumbered, but he knew if he could grab the woman and get back on his side quickly his family would be there to back him up. He rammed into Jacob from the side, smirking inwardly at the sound of his snapping bone and his howl. Emmett hauled the woman over his shoulder, apologising at her hiss of pain, and spun in his heels, running and propelling himself back over to his side of the border just as his family burst through the trees.

Leah could barely keep her eyes open and as her dizziness increased, her vision blurred and a groan escaped her lips, followed closely by a hiss.

Emmett gently pulled her down from his shoulder, placing her softly on the ground on her side so she wouldn't choke on the blood in her mouth. He moved in front of his family to stand beside his father and his other brother, growling menacingly at the three wolves across from them. The two smaller ones were helping Jacob to his feet.

Leah coughed and scrunched up her nose as one of the leeches knelt down behind her, lifting her head and removing her blood matted hair from her face.

The female wolf clutched her stomach, growling as her ribs began the slow and painful healing process in the complete wrong positions. She cried out at the realisation that she would need them broken again to get them in the right place.

"Shush sweetheart, you'll be alright." The voice that drifted to her from above was soothing and altogether gentle. Cool fingers caressed her face lightly, careful not to touch her weeping wounds.

As Jacob got to his feet, he was cradling the broken arm that Emmett had caused, blood staining his naked body and drying in the cool air. He gritted his teeth and cast his eyes back and forth over every one of the leeches' faces, a sneer on his face as he panted heavily.

"You just broke the treaty leech!"

"You tried to fucking rape her, you sick fuck!" Emmett snarled, his body shaking almost as badly as the two wolves on the La Push side of the border. "Bring it on mutt, we'll destroy you!"

Paul went to step forward, his body shaking in fury only to be stopped by a bark from his Alpha.

"Not now you fucking douche bag! We're out-numbered and I'm injured! Are you goddamn stupid?" Jacob hissed.

Turning back to the vampire's he snarled, hoping Leah was conscious enough to hear his next words.

"Enjoy your last few days on this earth, because as soon as I'm healed my pack will slaughter you!"

As he turned to make his way back into the forest, into his territory, Paul and Embry tried to assist him, shrinking back at his less than subtle growl. It was at that point that Leah's consciousness began to fade in and out, before finally loosing it completely and surrendering to the darkness.

The last thing she heard was the lulling voice of the woman above her.

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_Just to clear something up, she's not dead and she isn't going to die, that's reserved for Jacob :) Leave me a review and tell me what you guys thought.  
><em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART FIVE**

**A/N - Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, sorry if it took me awhile but schools been hectic. Anyways, thankyou to everybody who has reviewed, fav'd, alerted etc. They keep me writing so keep them coming :) Enjoy!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

"What are we to do, Carlisle? We cannot throw these two girls to those vile men, we are not so cruel."

The female speaking sat perched on the edge of the bed she shared with her husband, her head cradled in her petite hands, her hair curtaining her distraught face. It was a sight to see really she knew, a vampire so frazzled, but she had every right to be like that.

Lifting her head she could hear the calm beating of both of the young women's hearts, calm and peaceful in contrast to how they had come to be so injured. Two days. That's how long they'd been in the Cullen household.

"We shall be doing no such thing, Esme. You needn't worry about that." The blonde vampire who was sitting beside her wrapped a comforting arm around his wife, sighing sadly. "I've no clue about what we are to do, I'm afraid. We can only hope that Alice will warn us ahead of time as to the Pack's impending arrival."

"How could they do that to one of their own? I don't understand it! And that poor Swan girl also! She will forever be scared from the things she's suffered at the hands of that dog!"

Very rarely did Esme Cullen raise her voice and when she did, it was something that caused unease to settle in every vampire living under her roof. Her children, who were all grouped in the living room downstairs, were all panicking to a certain degree.

Every few minutes Alice would search the future, returning with a sense of relief every time an image of her family whirled through her mind. It was the eerie darkness that she feared. With darkness came only trouble, and in this case, it was the wolves over the border.

"You must calm yourself, my dear. Your worry does nothing but cause worry to our children." His murmur was so quiet that he knew had their children been speaking, they wouldn't have heard anything at all. But alas, they weren't and so they did. Carlisle leant in and brushed his lips tenderly to her temple, "We must be calm and reasonable. First and foremost, my concern is the healing process of those two girls."

It was with a barely audible sob that Esme swallowed her heartache and fear, raising her head only slightly.

"What are we to do?" She whispered desperately once more. "I want more than anything to simply live in peace."

"As do I, but that will simply not happen while the council is run by such narrow minded men." Shaking his head, he stood and held his hand out for his wife. He attempted a small smile. "We must cross that bridge as we come to it. For now we are safe, and so are those girls. With Alice and Edward, the pack will not be able to take us by surprise."

Helping his mate up he proceeded to place a sweet kiss on her lips.

"Everything will be fine. I will always protect my family, and as of now that includes those two girls."

x-o-x

Leah's head rang horribly. It felt as though a child had picked up a hammer and repeatedly slammed it against her skull with a sick sense of joy. In fact her entire body felt like that; heavy as lead and as bruised as the wife of an abuser. Her limbs ached with over-exertion and her eyes refused to open, afraid of the light that would surely assault her if she did.

She wasn't disorientated as she had expected, but her sense of time was way out. She didn't know what the time was, but only that she was laying in a bed that mildly smelt of the leeches in which had taken her and her imprint under their protection. At least that's what she hoped.

Leah shifted but stopped immediately as intense pain shot through her limbs, an ache so painful that it had her groaning and gasping for breath. She allowed her body to relax back against the cushions where it was less painful and groaned quietly as she ran her fingers along her bandaged torso. Jacob had broken her ribs, and by the feel of it quite a few.

Carlisle walked in then, quietly opening and closing the door, not wanting to distress the young woman any further. His eyes zeroed in on the beads of sweat that seemed to gather at her brow and lather her flesh, giving it a sickly gleam in the dim light that the lamps across the room provided.

As the vampire made his way to her bedside he noticed almost immediately that the swelling and bruising on her body had gone down substantially over the last few days since the incident. He assumed it was part of the wolf that resided within her.

"How are you feeling, Leah?" He knew as soon as the words had left his lips that they probably weren't the most appropriate. Leah growled low in her throat with those exact thoughts, and Carlisle cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Yes, that was a stupid question. I apologise. Would you like some more Morphine? It burns off quite quickly on your kind, I'm afraid."

"W-where's Bella? Is she okay?" The werewolf attempted to open her eyes but hissed and shut them quickly as her head throbbed against her skull. "Just tell me she's alright." She gasped out.

Carlisle clenched his teeth together as he went about preparing the syringe; his golden eyes brimmed with sadness and anger. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, calming himself as he came back to her bedside.

"Isabella is safe in the room beside this one, and my wife, Esme, is in there with her now. She's perfectly safe now, I assure you." Gently he prepared her arm, allowing the syringe to hover above her skin. "I'm going to give you a shot of Morphine right now, you'll probably fall asleep, but rest assured no harm will come to your friend."

Once the morphine was injected and the syringe disposed of Carlisle hesitated.

"May I check your ribs? I'm afraid that they had started to heal incorrectly, and it left me with no choice but to re-break them and set them in their correct places. I would like to make sure they're healing correctly."

Leah simply nodded and was surprisingly unconcerned about allowing Dr Fang to touch her in such a vulnerable state. His cool hands served to be a relief against her battered flesh, and the morphine seemed to kill any pain that his gentle probing caused. He adjusted her shirt afterwards and smiled softly, despite the fact that the werewolf couldn't see him.

"Everything seems perfectly fine, so I just want you to rest and heal. It looks as though your wolf genes are working to your advantage in that process." He made for the door slowly and hesitated there, glancing back at the sweating and shivering woman. "Would you like one of my daughters to keep watch over you? Or perhaps even my wife?"

Leah managed a subtle shake of her head and allowed her head to lull to the side quickly after.

"No...protect Bella...I'll be fine in a few days." The drugs dulled her pain and the throbbing of her head and she allowed the unconsciousness to creep up on her. "Just...keep the pain away while I'm healing."

Keep the morphine coming, in other words.

"I'll check on you in a few hours. Sleep and rest."

Carlisle exited the room with barely any sound, gliding slowly into the room next to the one that housed the female wolf. Esme sat against the headboard with sad glistening eyes, her fingers stroking through the young human's hair with a gentleness that only a mother possessed.

"How is she holding up?" Carlisle whispered into the dark room, walking up to her bedside to place a hand upon his distraught wife's shoulder.

Esme sighed and her husband didn't miss the slight tremble of her lip, "She's having nightmares, I think. She keeps whimpering and she...and she said..."

"She said what, love?" He murmured with a tilt of his head. His eyes travelled the young woman and the bruises that littered her arms and her face. He knew the ones on her legs were worse, though.

"She kept calling out for Leah to help her...for Jacob to _stop_. Oh, Carlisle...she's absolutely traumatised and she hasn't even woken yet."

The brunette was shivering uncontrollably and the sweat seemed to lather her flesh as much as it did her werewolf friend. It wasn't that she was in intense pain, but rather intense fear and possibly even shock. The nightmares were doing nothing to help the situation either.

Carlisle could not answer. How was he supposed to say otherwise when he knew that it was impossible to consol his wife about that particular part of the recovery? There was no way to make her feel better because the truth was that things wouldn't be fine. He would be concerned if the young woman didn't have a complete breakdown after everything she'd suffered.

"We will get her through this, we will get them both through this and we'll do it with the utmost care. That's all we can do, love."

"And hope it will be enough," She added quietly with a small shake of her head, "But we both know it won't be if the wolves decide to attack."

"The wolves are not to worry over just yet. Have faith, Esme, and we will cross that bridge as we come to it. For now, we help these girls and do it the best we can."

Carlisle gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, eyes drawn downwards as a frown marred his usually calm face.

"It's all we can do."

Downstairs the silence became stifling. It surrounded the five vampires, coiling around their limbs like a snake as though to keep them from shifting even the slightest bit.

Edward massaged his temples in hopes that it would relieve some of the pressure that the thoughts from both his worried family members and the two injured women who lay in their guest rooms upstairs caused. He was sure that this was the vampire equivalent to a human headache.

Alice was doing almost the exact same thing in terms of relieving the pressure in her head, but for her it was due to the effort she put into searching the future far too frequently. Her head was pounding as she continued to search around the werewolf who was staying in their house. She found it strange that she could in the first place, and was beginning to regret doing it now that she was experiencing such a humanlike pain. She wondered if this is what a human headache felt like, and if it was, she pitied the poor creatures.

"It is." Edward confirmed with a grimace, "At least that is what I assume."

Jasper's quiet trembling soon became too much as he was bombarded by everybody emotions full force. The pain he felt coming from the werewolf was unmistakeable and his control was starting to slip as he tried to hold in his agonised snarls. He could barely understand how she was keeping her pain so well hidden from the others in the house. The torment from the young human did nothing to help the situation either.

Alice as if sensing her husband's pain placed a comforting hand on his thigh.

"I think Jasper and I will take a walk to get some fresh air." She informed her siblings quietly, holding back her gasp of surprise as Jasper practically hauled her to her feet as soon as the words left her lips.

"Stay close to the house." Carlisle's voice drifted down the stairs from his place in the human's room where he and Esme watched over the trembling woman. "I would rather be safe than sorry."

"We won't be far." Jasper bit out through clenched teeth. He tugged his smaller wife along to the door quickly. "Edward will be able to hear our thoughts if we run into any trouble, though I doubt we will this early."

Edward silently hoped his brother was correct with that assumption. Glancing over at Rosalie and Emmett, he had trouble holding back his shudder at the thoughts he found in both their minds. They practically screamed out at him for attention; Emmett's murderous thoughts about one particular dog, and Rosalie's fury at the same dog that had visciously laid his hands and other parts upon those two women.

"I'm going to go check on Leah," Rosalie got to her feet, posture stiff as she made for the staircase, leaving Edward and Emmett to themselves. "It would be best to occupy my mind so I don't cross the border and tear that mongrels balls off."

"You give me five minutes with him an-"

"Emmett enough please, you aren't helping."

Edward shook his head as Rosalie's thoughts became even more threatening. All he was doing was making her angrier; angry enough to be able to think back to the last hours of her past life without even an ounce of her own pain and torment. She thought only of Bella and Leah, wanting nothing more than to protect them with her own life. She imagined _their_ pain, _their_ torment and that brought forth a subconscious sadness that she seemed to be blocking.

In Edward's opinion it wasn't as healthy as it sounded. She'd block her own pain for a few hours, perhaps a few days and it'd be pressured to combust in the end. Rosalie would close off from her family then, she'd snap at every person who tried to speak to her or comfort her and it would tear her apart from the inside out.

This thing with the La Push Tribe, whatever it was, had done nothing to help Rosalie's issues on humanity and the treatment of women in particular.

Emmett, unbeknownst to the bronze headed vampire, had been watching the various range of tormented expressions crossing his brother's face as he was assaulted with the thoughts of his family and in particular Emmett's own wife. The large vampire sighed and dropped his head heavily into the palms of his hands.

"This is pretty fucked up, huh?" He grumbled.

"Yeah...it is." What more could Edward possibly say?

Emmett hesitated, lifting his head to gaze at his brother with sad eyes, "Is...is Rosie alright?"

His concern for his mate ran deep, and he'd known this would affect her badly the moment Bella and Leah had been brought into their house. They practically reeked of their experience with the male wolves, Bella more so than Leah. His fears were confirmed at the grimace that seemed to intensify on Edward's face at the mention of the blonde vampire.

"Not good then? I knew this was a bad idea, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave them! You were there, so you know how horrible it was." Emmett whispered desperately, angrily almost and his brother was quick to reassure him.

"This is not your fault Emmett, and I know for a fact that if you had just left her there to be violated, Rosalie would be far angrier than she is now. She would never have forgiven you for doing something so...horrible."

Emmett sighed and nodded his large head in agreement, albeit quite hesitantly.

"So what do we do about this? The two girls I mean."

Edward's head lifted and his golden gaze settled firmly on the ceiling at the exact place the werewolf and the human trembled above, though for different reasons.

"We protect them."

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_Leave me a review!  
><em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART SIX**

**A/N - Thanks guys!**

**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

It was about two days later that Leah could bring herself to rise from the cocoon of damp sheets that she had laid in for far too many days. They were rank with the stench of sweat and thick with the filth of so many days without a shower. Her body ached with the effort, and it was only when her legs threatened to give out and a pair of cool arms wrapped around her, that she realised she wasn't alone.

She tensed at the contact but silently thanked her saviour from preventing her from falling flat on her arse and cause even more pain to her still healing body. She gasped, her heart pounding violently in her tender ribs as she was encouraged forcefully back onto the edge of the bed, choosing to ignore the unhygienic essence that seemed to launch off said bed. _Do I really smell that bad?_

"Let me up, I need to see Bella!" Her hiss didn't come out as vehemently as she had hoped, but her saviour got the message and immediately stepped away from the wolf. Leah looked up with a glare on her face, grimace well hidden so that the blonde woman would be less inclined to come to her aid. "I'm _not _asking."

"You may be faring better than before, but you're still in pain." Rosalie ran a hand through her blonde hair, opting to lean against the dresser as she watched the werewolf with gentle eyes. "My name's Rosalie."

"I could give a flying fuck about what your name is right now, just let me see Bella." Leah noticed the way the vampire, Rosalie as she was named, looked to the side with a hesitance that sent a prickle of fear down her spine. "What? She's alright, isn't she?"

"She woke yesterday around midday and apart from a few abrasions, she's physically fine." Her words were slow and precise.

Leah's blood ran cold, her jaw clenching, "Physically? What the fuck do you mean physically?"

Risking her own personal safety Rosalie stupidly stepped forward, re-thinking her movement and backtracking to her original place. She swallowed heavily and lowered her gaze to the floor.

"I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you this, Leah. It's not good."

The werewolf bit back her sarcastic remark, "Just tell me."

She levelled her eyes with the injured woman, "Can you control yourself no matter how unfair that request is?"

"It won't help my imprint if I go crazy, would it?" She snapped, eyes flaring, "Now fucking tell me!"

"Jacob...he...Jacob took advantage of her." At Leah's angry confusion, she looked to the side and broke eye contact. "He raped her."

x-o-x

"Are you sure you aren't hungry, dear?"

Bella barely registered the woman's voice as it drifted to her from the left, gentle and cautious. What did it matter? Her body ached and her heart thundered horribly with her tormented emotions, her stomach was practically eating itself as it growled for something of sustenance, her body though clean felt filthy and violated.

It felt as though something was crawling live under her flesh in violation, and it did nothing to quell the raging horror she felt at the evidence that littered her body. She was dirty and no amount of soap and scorching water would change that.

"No." Bella finally whispered, tucking her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them and turned her head away from the woman further. She didn't need to see the pity in her eyes.

Esme watched on sadly, heart shattering at the sight of the poor beaten down young woman who sat so lonesome and dejectedly by the living room window. She noticed that Bella couldn't even bring herself to look out at the day as it passed her by. It was with a heavy heart that the vampire retreated to the comfort of her kitchen, packing the food she'd cooked into containers and stacking them away in the fridge.

With all the self control she could muster, she went about her daily chores and it was only when she heard the werewolf stir upstairs that she returned to check on the quiet human in her living room. Alice sat across from her uncomfortably, unsure of what exactly to say to the young woman she knew through only brief glances at Forks High.

"Go on Alice, I'll keep an eye on her." The words were far too quiet for Bella to hear, and Esme doubted she would've registered them if she had spoken normally anyway.

Alice flitted out of the room with a quiet 'I'll see you soon Bella' with the intent to go lay with her husband upstairs, even possibly try to sooth away the emotions he was experiencing because of everyone else.

Esme walked over to the human who was still in the same position she'd left her in earlier, and had to physically hold back her cringe at the commotion she heard upstairs where Rosalie was speaking with Leah, trying to calm her Esme assumed. It would do no good for Esme to lose her own cool in front of Bella.

"Are you hungry yet, Bella? I could whip you up something real quick if you'd like." She could hear Leah upstairs, growling and taking her anger out on Esme's poor furniture. "You name it, and I'll make it."

Yet again Bella said nothing and continued to avoid any eye contact whatsoever with the family who had taken her in. She didn't want food and she didn't want sympathetic gestures, she just wanted Leah plain and simple. She wanted the woman to lie next to her, hold her and tell her everything would be alright, that they would get through this together. Most of all she wanted Leah to tell her, verbally, that she loved her.

She sat there with only her thoughts for company, thoughts that she honestly didn't want to be alone with, but what else could she do? Bella could barely bring herself to blink let alone ask the woman when she could see the werewolf she loved. She wondered idly if they even knew of her relationship with Leah.

Time seemed to escape her and it was only when she heard her name being whispered so quietly behind her that she reacted so drastically. Her heart sped up and her breathing became uneven, body starting to tremble as she her walls crumbled around her and a sob burst forth from her chest.

"Leah..." Slowly she turned her head, hiccupping loudly as she tried to hold back the sobs that wanted to crush her body.

Leah stood there freshly showered, her damp hair hanging on either side of her head messily and her body slightly hunched as she leant on the back of the couch for support, her body still weak. Her eyes were rimmed red and the veins in her biceps were bulging out as she worked to control the anger she'd already reigned in over the last hour with Rosalie's help.

"Oh, honey..." The werewolf's voice quivered and with her last bout of energy she limped over to her imprint's side, fighting back a hiss of pain. No sooner had she sat down did the brunette uncurl herself and collapse in Leah's arms, wrapping her own securely around the one wolf who was unknowingly the only honest one with her.

Anger was replaced with a surge of protectiveness and sadness as Leah held her imprint safely in her arms, her eyes closing as she buried her face in Bella's throat, swallowing down her own sobs to show her strength, no matter how weak she truly felt. She could feel Bella's tears soak the clean shirt she wore, and subconsciously her hold tightened significantly but not to the point of ever hurting her. Leah would never do that.

"It alright Bella, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I _promise_." Her sobs continued, and it felt as though Leah's heart would implode with the agony that swept through her and seemed to attach themselves permanently.

Leah could hear the vampire who had been in here leave, and couldn't have been more grateful. She honestly didn't want to snap at the woman who had obviously been so kind to both the love of her life and herself. They'd taken them in and cared for them after all.

_I can't believe I owe Bella's life to the leeches..._

She wasn't so sure she could refrain from growling at them had they been standing there and watching, their golden eyes overflowing with pity and even possibly disgust at what they would've been witnessing. Leah shook her head of those thoughts because she knew without a doubt that there wouldn't be disgust in their eyes, pity yes, but not disgust. Vampires were sexual creatures so surely it wasn't unheard of for them to mate with those of the same sex. Even if they didn't mate with them they would've at least fooled around.

As she used her hands and fingers to calm her imprint by rubbing and kneading her lower back and shoulders, sure to keep from touching anywhere unwanted, her subconscious narrowed down on one thing and one thing only; her hatred for Jacob Black, and the determination that he would suffer at her hands in the most brutal way she knew how.

Another sob broke through her murderous thoughts and the shame Leah felt for even thinking of anyone other than Bella at this moment pierced her heart almost as violently as Jacob had broken her ribs. One hand came to rest on Bella's shaking head, the other working to support her weak body as she cried.

Leah's trembling thumb made a soothing rotation on her scalp, her fingers doing the same as she inhaled the brunette's reassuring scent of honeysuckle and lilacs. It calmed her like nothing else on the planet.

"I'm here, Bella." She cooed softly. _And I'm not going anywhere._

xXxXxXxXxXx

_Next chapter carries on a few hours after this. Leave me a review!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART SEVEN**

**A/N - Hey guys, firstly I'd like to thank everyone for your comments, they make me unbelievably happy :) And secondly...well there is no secondly! Thanks guys!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Silence was the stillness not only within Leah but also around her. It was almost suffocating really, but it was this apparent void of sound and gentle inner thoughts from which everything came about the way it had. It was her silence with Bella that led to the events that had transpired at La Push. It was her silence that led to her imprint being taken advantage of.

Silence is the very beginning. Of everything.

She wanted to blame herself for what her family and her tribe had done, wanted to blame herself for what Jacob had done, but she knew it would be unfair. This wasn't Bella's fault and this wasn't Leah's fault, it was her tribe, her _father _who had caused this, and yet she still felt unbelievably guilty about it.

"Hey," Leah glanced down at the woman who was lying in her arms, noticing instantly she had spoken. Bella nuzzled her face into the crevice of the werewolf's throat and tightened her hold on the warm woman. "You're tense." She observed quietly.

"I'm thinking. It's nothing to worry over." Leah murmured.

Leaning down she placed a gentle kiss on her head as her hand rubbed calming circles on the back of her shoulder. She hesitated for only a moment as she laid her head back in its original position against the pillows.

"How're you feeling?" Leah wasn't entirely sure she could handle what her love had to say. Everything was silent for another few minutes until the brunette shuddered lightly.

"I'm better than I was...I know I over-reacted about the whole bloody thing."

"Like hell you did! That vile man...he touched you and took advantage of you, and I promise he will fucking suffer because of that." The beast inside clawed at the chains that confined it in pure frustration and impatience, but Leah refused to allow it the freedom it craved. She wouldn't put Bella in that sort of danger again.

"I still shouldn't have freaked out so badly, Leah, I mean it isn't like he hasn't touched me before." Bella's voice trembled as she tried to convince not only Leah but also herself that it wasn't so bad. "He was my boyfriend..."

The werewolf's brow pinched together in confusion, her anger diminishing into only a memory as her imprints pain washed over her, almost crippling her as it did so. Leah held in her whimper.

"What he did, Bella, was wrong. He forced himself on you..." Leah's whisper cut through the tense silence, and Bella flinched back as it hit her. "I-I thought I'd reached him in time...before he could, I was positive that I had. I'm sorry I couldn't reach you in time, I'm so sorry."

Turning around so she could see Leah, the trembling human cupped the werewolf's tormented face, choking back her own sob as their foreheads touched ever so lightly, noses brushing together.

"This wasn't your fault, and you know that as much as I do. If you could have witnessed everything from my perspective, you would understand how terrified I was. But it wasn't my safety I was afraid for, it was _yours_." She begged, "They wouldn't stop hitting you, and you kept crying and screaming out in so much pain and I couldn't do a goddamn thing to help you. I should be apologising, not you. I sat there and watched them hurt you, not the other way round."

The werewolf shook her head fervently, "No, Bella. I let that mongrel touch you by being so weak, but I promise you right now that I will never let him near you again, I will never allow myself to show such weakness in front of that dick again."

"You aren't weak. You were injured, and you still are. You're such a strong person, a beautiful and protective goddess." Her confession was laced with so much sincerity that Leah could only nod in agreement. She'd agree with anything the brunette had to say at this moment. "You're my beautiful protective goddess."

Leah's eyes closed by their own accord and tears clogged thickly at the edges, threatening to spill. She couldn't feel ashamed, though, even as they fell because she knew they were not tears of pain or fear, no, they were anything but. She wasn't sure whether it was relief, love or pure happiness, it could've been a combination for all she cared. Leah's imprint was in _her _arms, her face and body so close that she could _smell _every little thing there was to smell on her, but it was the way Bella's heart beat so fiercely that had the werewolf in tears.

There was no fear of Jacob arriving, especially not with seven vampires there to protect them. There was no fear of having Bella suddenly taken from her, and that made her the happiest she'd ever been.

Slowly Leah opened her eyes, a shaky smile appearing on her face, "Thank you, I think I needed to hear that."

Struggling to calm her thumping heart, Bella smiled and leant down slowly to kiss the warmer woman, moaning quietly at the tingle that spread through her limbs.

"I know you did."

Everything was silent for a few moments and it was in that silence that Bella slid off the werewolf's body to lie beside her, turning so Leah was to her back. Leah remained uncertain as to whether or not to cuddle her but frowned and shook those thoughts away quickly, rolling onto her side and wrapping an arm around Bella's midsection.

Hot breath hit the back of Bella's neck and the warmth that spread through her was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. A smile subconsciously tugged at her lips.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" She hummed.

Leah pressed the pad of her thumb gently into the brunette's stomach just below her navel, massaging the muscle there in the most loving way as she lifted her head and placed a kiss to the shell of Bella's ear.

"I love you," The werewolf released a shuddering breath as she was able to _finally _say the words out loud. "I love you so fucking much, Bella."

Turning slowly so as to face the werewolf, Bella knew Leah had noticed the tears in her eyes and the smile on her face. The expressions on both their faces were practically identical, a match made in heaven.

"I love you," Leah repeated in a whisper as she reached up to tuck a strand of her imprint's hair behind her ear. Her lower lip trembled as an almost excited chuckle bubbled in her chest, "Oh my god, that feels so good to say! I love you, Bella!" The last bit wasn't quiet by any means, and Bella could only giggle in response.

"I love you too, Leah." She leant in for a brief kiss, but happily surrendered as the werewolf encouraged her to stay-put by curling her hand around the back of her head, fingers pressing with just the right amount of pressure.

They pulled back with no tongue, sighing softly against each other's mouths with smiles on their faces.

"You're right, that does feel good." Bella leant in and gently brushed her lips against the smooth ones of Leah's. The werewolf's eyes were swimming with so much emotion, and the brunette knew her own eyes would be the colour of dark melted chocolate, appropriate given the euphoric feelings coursing through her. "You mean so much to me, Leah, and I'm so glad you're here with me...to get me through this. I don't know what I'd do without you now that I have you."

"You'll never have to go without me, Bella, because I'll never allow someone to keep me from you again."

Leah wanted to tell her that she wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for her but she knew it would ruin the progress they'd just made, and instead kept her thoughts to herself. They settled down in a comfortable silence, their eyes trained on only each other, hearts beating in synchronisation, steady and strong.

x-o-x

La Push was drowned in an eerie silence, the tension so thick that even those ignorant of the existence of werewolves and vampires could feel the buzzing anticipation and impatience that seemed to surround them. The ocean was so unearthly calm that it had the local surfers grumbling and looking around suspiciously as though somebody had purposely refused them their waves. The sun was shining dimly from behind the clouds, lighting small areas in it ethereal glow and unknowingly setting the locals in an even more anxious state. Perhaps it was strange that they felt that way but they did, because nice weather was rare, but nice weather _and_ silence was even rarer. The locals weren't stupid, just ignorant of the most obvious things going on around them.

It was in the little house surrounded with forest and just in from the beach that the tension stemmed from, spreading like an itchy rash across the entire community. A fire blazed behind the house in the yard and the four men who sat around it were silent as they gazed at one another, some in contempt, others in frustration and one in contemplation.

Billy Black was sat in his wheel chair and placed strategically beside Harry Clearwater, his closest friend and confident in the tribe. Across from them was Sam, the youngest and only member of the Pack that had been given the right to stand beside the two elders, but he did not stand beside them, no he stood in their way. To the side, away from both the elders and Sam was Quil Ateara Senior who was possibly the only level headed and calm one among them. He sat on a piece of driftwood and smoked a cigarette, his eyes trained tiredly on the fire.

Sam knew by just gazing at his elders that he would have to be careful with his words as Jared, Embry, Quil and Paul were pacing by their alpha's bedside, just waiting for a word from their fathers to attack. Sam glanced over at the small rickety house to where Seth and Sue sat on the steps, watching the council members with anxious eyes and knowing that Sam was their only hope. He felt the pressure as he turned his piercing gaze back onto the stubborn men across from him.

"I'm a member of this council and I demand that you allow Sue her place among us, a place which was stolen from her by her own husband without her knowledge." Sam's voice rang clear through the blazing fire, his posture giving away nothing of the anger he felt. "You have no right to keep that position from her simply because she is a woman."

"You're being absolutely ridiculous, Sam! Why bother with this nonsense when there are more important decisions to be made!" Harry's face went slightly redder, and it had nothing to do with the heat of the flames in front of him. Sam bristled.

"Decisions that are not yours to be made! You do not belong on this council, your wife does."

"Why you little-"

"Let him speak, Harry, we are all equal on this council and we will each get our say." Old Quil flicked his smoke into the fire and adjusted the cap on his head, eyes moving over to the younger man. "Go ahead, Sam."

Sam nodded in gratitude.

"I do not mean any disrespect to my elders, and that includes you Harry, but I find this arrangement unfair. Sue has been made aware that she is meant to stand beside us as you all know, but in my opinion she's handled that information quite dignifiedly, which you in particular seem to be ignorant of." He looked pointedly at Harry and Billy, and straightened his own posture. "All I ask is that Sue is allowed to take her place among us, vote on the decisions this tribe makes and have her opinion taken as seriously as I hope you take my own, just as any other member here."

"You expect us to simply kick Harry off the council, who might I add is experienced and has served us well, and replace him with someone who knows nothing of how we operate?" Billy asked indignantly as though it was his own mother being insulted. "You are a character, Sam, I'll give you that."

"Is that what you expect, Sam? To have us discard Harry?" Old Quil pulled out another cigarette and lit it without a glance at any of the men before him. Sam began to worry, and quickly changed his strategy.

"I never said that. I merely said we allow Sue her place among us, not that we kick Harry off."

"I suppose that's reasonable. Billy, Harry what do you say?" Both men looked at the other elder with narrowed eyes but Old Quil was, as usual, not looking. His gaze was back on the roaring flames.

Harry clenched his teeth, "I don't want to leave the council nor do I wish for my wife to be dragged into our problems, however, I see there are no other options." Old Quil looked up finally and locked gazes with the larger man, waiting patiently for a clearer answer. Harry cleared his throat and glared down into the flames, "I vote yes, Sue can take her place among us."

Billy begrudgingly nodded his head, "Agreed."

Sam's whole body sagged in relief and a small smile played at his lips.

"Brilliant! Then I believe she should be present before we begin making decisions about what took place a few days ago between the Pack and vampires over the border." Sam reasoned, holding back his smug satisfaction at the sneers on both Harry and Billy's faces. Old Quil nodded and waved his hand absentmindedly.

"Call her over."

Sam was back quickly with Sue in tow, leaving Seth to sit by himself outside the house. He wasn't about to join the Pack inside after hearing and seeing what they had done to his sister and her imprint. His body burned in fury just thinking about it, so he quickly distracted himself by listening in on the council's conversation, just in time to have them finish explaining their decision to his mother.

Sue stood beside Sam proudly, her narrowed eyes trained on the man across from her, the man she loved with every bone in her body, the man who caused her heart to implode continuously every time she thought about how he had betrayed their daughter and their family. She loved him still, but she would never forgive him for the things he had denied her and Leah.

"Now that's out of the way, I propose we move onto more important matters, in particular the situation with the leeches across the border." Billy looked around for any objection, and grinned when he found none. "They have broken the treaty, and it is our responsibility to stay true to our ancestors wishes."

"As for Leah," Harry continued unfazed, "She has betrayed us by attacking her alpha and pack members, and allowing the leeches to take her in. She has turned her back on her tribe and for that she deserves the same treatment as what we deal out to the leeches that stand beside her."

"That's bullshit!" Sam snapped barely able to control his fury, "You don't know the truth, you only know what Jacob's told you!"

"Are you calling my son, your alpha, a liar?" Billy challenged bravely.

"I'd be careful how you answer." Harry cautioned with a taunting smirk, "I think his injuries speak for themselves, don't you?"

"No, I do not. I think, no I know, that Jacob altered the entire thing and I can prove it."

Billy and Harry were outraged and were about to prove as much, until Old Quil interrupted them.

"How so?"

"I may have been useless to intervene but that doesn't mean I didn't witness everything through Paul, Embry and Jacob's minds."

"How are we supposed to be sure you won't lie?" Harry sneered, "I'm afraid I don't trust you one bit, Sam."

"I find it strange that you are so willing to stick up for everyone else bar your own family. I find it even stranger that you care nothing for the safety and protection of your own daughter. You're so willing to have her killed, and I'm curious as to why?" Sam growled back angrily, fists clenching at his sides. "So I don't particularly trust you either!"

"Watch your mouth!" Billy shouted in outrage, "We're your elders not your wife!"

"Okay, enough." Old Quil stated firmly though barely raising his voice, "Arguing is useless and I see no reason for Sam to deliberately lie to us. Let's hear what you have to say, you tell us the truth then."

"I think Seth should have his say, also, as he too witnessed it and was useless to stop it."

Old Quil waved Seth over with the knowledge that he had been listening anyway, much like the rest of his pack mates. Seth took his place obediently beside his mother and Sam, glaring distastefully at the man who was his father.

Old Quil motioned for Sam to begin while lighting his third cigarette of the night.

Sam went through everything slowly and precisely, everything from the beatings where Paul and Embry held Leah down to Jacob raping Bella and attempting to rape Leah in the forest. Everyone was silent as he went on to say how one of the vampires had crossed the border to prevent him from doing so, beating him to the side and snatching a bloodied and barely breathing Leah into his arms and fleeing back into their territory where his family arrived to back him up.

Seth was shaking with as much fury as Sam, but Sue was refusing to allow her anger and horror to be shown and instead stood there glaring at her husband and the uncaring expression he wore. The way he was crossing his arms defensively and frowning at the accusations made her sick to her stomach. Billy wore a similar expression to Harry's and it seemed that only Old Quil seemed to remain neutral.

"Is what Sam says true, Seth?" His cigarette was burning away untouched between his fingers.

"Yes."

"Well that changes things, then." He murmured looking off to the side to where the pack resided and where Jacob was healing. "I suppose Leah was justified in the damage she did if it was in defence."

"This is utter bullshit!" Billy roared angrily, "Bella is Jacob's girlfriend, he didn't rape her and he wouldn't ever attempt to rape that dyke!" Harry voiced his agreement much to Sue's disgust. "What does this have to do with the goddamn leeches anyway?"

"It has everything to do with them! If it weren't for them that mongrel you call a son would've raped my daughter too! It's bad enough that he took advantage of a woman he claimed to love." Sue fumed in a low voice, "It's Jacob that deserves to be punished, not those who helped Leah and Bella."

"Agreed." Sam growled placing a hand on the woman's shoulder in a reassuring comfort. "Jacob got only what he deserved, and that was far less then what should've been dealt to him."

Old Quil nodded thoughtfully, "I want the rest of the Pack here. I think it only fair that we question them also."

Almost immediately the door to the house swung open and the five wolves that were in there came waltzing out as though they owned the damn place, as though the victory was theirs already. They flagged Jacob, who was still cradling an almost entirely healed arm against his chest, and came to a stand beside Billy and Harry. Sam glared, Seth glared, and Sue practically burnt a hole through Jacob's skull with the force of her own glare.

Jacob was the first to smirk, Paul, Jared and Embry following like the obedient little dogs they were. Quil, the fifth wolf there, seemed to be the only one not smiling as his lips were pressed tightly together, eyes lowered and head bowed as though he were being scolded, and in a way he supposed he was.

Old Quil was watching silently at the exchange and his heart clenched as he saw for the first time the ugliness that came with power, the power of having control over others. He couldn't understand it really but then again how could he? He didn't have the power that Jacob did, only the option to sway certain decisions, decisions which would be either beneficial or not to the tribe. Old Quil looked directly at Jacob.

"Did you do the things that both Sam and Seth have claimed?" When Jacob attempted to speak, Old Quil held up a hand to stop him, his eyes firm and leaving for no argument. "I would be very _truthful _if I were you, Jacob."

The smirk faltered on Jacob's face and his eyes narrowed minutely, flickering over to Sam and Seth in the most threatening way he could muster. Seth visibly flinched but Sam remained tall and firm, a growl building in his chest the longer that mutt looked at him.

"Everything happened the way I said it did." Jacob grinned arrogantly at the way Harry clapped his shoulder, like a father would a son.

Old Quil showed the first sign of his own anger; a slight twitch of his lip. He moved his gaze onto Paul and Embry only to get the same response, Jared's answer no different. It was the moment Old Quil and Quil Jr locked gazes that time seemed to still and the tension became unbearable. The younger glanced away to the side nervously, and swallowed heavily as he tried to convince himself that the disappointment in his father's eyes wasn't directed at him.

"And you Quil? What do you say?"

"I-I..." Jacob jabbed him in the side painfully and Quil cleared his throat, eyes downcast. "Jacob's telling the truth."

Seth snarled, frightening both Quil and his own mother at the same time.

"You gutless coward! You lying gutless prick!"

Sam jumped into action quickly, gripping the younger wolf's bicep and dragging him forcibly a safe distance from Sue who was staring open-mouthed. _Did Seth really just say that?_

It had the desired effect though. Quil flinched and started to tremble as he felt every set of eyes on him, burning a hole in every inch of his flesh, but it was his father's gaze that seemed to burn the most brutally. It sizzled and spit exactly like the flames that they crowded around.

"Is that your final answer?"

Quil looked at his father nervously and scratched his neck even though there was no itch there. Eventually he dropped his hands to his side and slouched his body with the realisation of what he was about to say.

"No."

"No? What the fuck do you mean no?" Jacob demanded.

Quil stood straighter and held his hands up in surrender, his eyes apologetic.

"I'm sorry Jake, but you went too far this time." The younger Ateara walked away from his pack mates and took his rightful place in front of his father. He knelt before him respectfully and bowed his head in apology and regret. "Jacob's lying, and I'm sorry it took me so long to come clean."

"So, Sam and Seth were being truthful, I thought as much." Quil nodded at his son, eyes firm as he regarded the younger man. "Take a seat, Quil; I'll speak with you about this later."

Quil frowned but did as he was told, keeping his eyes on the ground to avoid the murderous glares he knew he was getting off the three wolves that stood beside Billy and Harry. Seth pulled away from Sam's grasp and went to his mother's side once more, assuring Sam that he was fine with a barely noticeably smile.

This time all eyes were on Jacob.

"You lied." Old Quil stated glancing at Jacob, Paul and Embry, "You all lied."

"Or those three lied." Harry retorted through gritted teeth, "What makes you so sure it was Jacob?"

Sue looked in her husband's direction in complete astonishment, "What the hell is wrong with you, Harry? You're willing to go against your son? You don't even seem to care that Jacob tried to rape our daughter!"

The large man scoffed at his wife, "It's a shame that fucking leech interrupted it too, maybe if he had gotten to go through with it, it would've destroyed this ridiculous dyke phase she's going through!"

Sensing his mother's raging anger, Seth placed a bulky arm gently around her shoulders and tucked her into his side.

"You sick bastard! This is your daughter we're talking about."

"She lost that title the moment she imprinted on that goddamn girl!" He shouted with trembling hands, "Leah should've kept her mouth shut and none of this would've happened. If she'd just-"

"Just what, Harry? Just let that bastard beside you continue to flaunt it in her face? She loves Bella and whether you like it or not, they were always going to be together!"

"Now wait a goddamn minute he-"

Quil roared angrily, his chest rising and falling heavily as he stood tall. His father, who had been trying to get them to shut up, stood to stand beside his son and pat his shoulder in appreciation. Everybody fell into an uncomfortable silence, settling on screaming their words through their gazes only.

"I want to clarify something here that the council and pack have seemed to have forgotten." Old Quil looked around the fire at each individual, lingering pointedly on Harry. "When we agreed to forbid Leah from her imprint it was only because Bella was dating Jacob at the time, and showed no feelings for Leah. The agreement was that if her feelings shifted from Jacob to Leah, then we would let nature run its course. So what happened that I'm not aware of?"

"Nothing fucking happened! That's why she was still with me."

"Jacob was abusing his power if you must know, not that it's all that surprising." Seth sneered in his alpha's direction, "He forbade her from saying _anything _nice or truthful to Bella. Bella stayed with him because she thought Leah hated her."

"Is this true, Jacob?" It was Billy this time, his voice showing his surprise and disappointment at the same time.

"Yes." He couldn't lie to his father no matter how much he wanted to. There was no regret or guilt, and Sue visibly blanched at the resentment on the young wolf's face. "Bella's mine and I refuse to lose her to the lesser sex."

"I'm far too old for this," Old Quil murmured, lifting his hand to his head so he could sooth away the headache he felt coming on. With a sigh he glanced at the bristling council and pack members. "I propose that we continue this tomorrow when we've all cooled off, and we're thinking clearly. What do you say?"

Sam, Sue and Billy agreed with nods and only Harry disagreed, demanding that they continue the meeting and get to the punishment of the leeches across the border and his daughter for fraternising with them.

Sam took great pleasure in telling him that he was out-voted.

"This is bullshit." He muttered in response, glaring at the werewolf who stood beside his wife son and wife.

"Bullshit or not, you've been out-voted. This meeting will continue tomorrow at noon, where we will discuss this further." Old Quil pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, eyes dancing with firm finality in Jacob's direction. "Nobody is to leave La Push until this matter has been resolved."

With the meeting concluded Sam drove Sue and Seth back to his house without even a backwards glance at the others. The two Clearwater's had been staying with him and Emily for the last few days and he knew without asking that they were staying tonight as well.

"Thank you, Sam...for everything." Sue said out of the blue, just as he came to a halt outside his place. Seth remained silent in the backseat. "I hope my opinion will account for something tomorrow. I hope it will save Leah's life and the life of those who saved her."

"It will." Sam paused for a moment before placing his hand in Sue's, and giving her a small smile, "Everything will work out, trust me. I won't let any more ham come to Leah."

A tear rolled down her face slowly and Sam's heart broke, "I just want to hold her, I just want to tell her everything will be okay."

"You can and you will. Old Quil won't let Jacob get away with what he's done and neither will Leah; she'll make him suffer worse than anybody else in our tribe ever could."

Seth shifted in the back, pulling his belt from around his body, "How do you know that?" His eyes were curious as he watched the older wolf shut off the engine and open the door. "I could do some damage with what I'm feeling right now, that's for sure."

"Nowhere near as much damage as Leah will do when she runs into him. Believe me, if I was in her position, I wouldn't stop until the earth was sprayed with every single drop of blood in his body."

Sam ignored the choked sob that came from the older woman in his passenger seat, knowing that if he recognised it Sue would completely break down. Sue didn't want to think of the horrible things her daughter had been through and she didn't want to acknowledge Leah's craving to spill Jacob's blood and even possibly take his life.

Sue couldn't and wouldn't ever think of her daughter as a murderer, or someone as equally bloodthirsty, but she knew that if it came down to Leah's survival or Jacob's, it was no surprise who she'd rather come out victorious. Her insides churned at realisation that this situation, no matter what the council agreed on, wouldn't end without bloodshed and tears.

_XxXxXxXxXxXxXx_

_Nobody fret Leah will get her revenge against Jacob eventually, I just haven't decided when :)_

_Also, there was some confusion regarding Bella's rape in La Push so I'd like to clear that up. Leah wasn't aware that Jacob had already achieved his goal and by the time Leah interupted him she unknowingly stopped him before he could finish. It was sort of like she stopped him just as he got started. Very confusing, so I apologise._

_Anyways, please leave me a review and I'll answer any questions you might have, so long as they aren't too difficult :D Leave me some love, don't be shy!  
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	8. Chapter 8

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART EIGHT**

**A/N - Thanks to every single one of you who have reviewed, alerted, favourited etc. You guys make my little author's heart soar :) Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

The rain had kept away for a whole day in Forks and the heavens seemed to promise yet another day of relatively nice weather much to Leah's relief. The clouds hung heavily in the sky and the rays of light that were able to penetrate it spread foreign warmth over the areas it touched, animals flocking to those little circular rays of light, predators and prey alike.

Even Leah sat out in the midday sun, her back flat against the warm concrete driveway, eyes closed and one hand behind her head while the other held a cigarette idly. She brought the burning stick to her lips when she realised that, inhaling slowly and exhaling just as slowly, barely registering the toxic smoke as it contaminated her lungs, caring only for the fact that it subconsciously calmed her. It wouldn't hurt her as far as she knew, and even if it did she didn't smoke regularly enough for it to actually affect her seriously.

Her body was less sore today but that didn't mean the pain was entirely gone because it wasn't. The sun seemed to help by warming her joints and her muscles, giving them just the right amount of warmth to allow her better movement of her limbs. An added bonus to the rare outing of the sun in Leah's opinion.

The fresh air was something she had come to miss while she was in Forks; this was the paleface's territory after all and their stench seemed to infiltrate the thick bark of the trees that surrounded her, fluttering in every direction due to the breeze. Not the most pleasant place for a werewolf to live but she wasn't about to be an ingrate and complain about something they had no control over.

"Smoking's bad for you, you know?"

Leah didn't even flinch at the sing-song voice that drifted from above her. She just nodded her head and scrunched her nose in distaste at the now even more foul air, wishing she could just thank the vampires for their hospitality, take her imprint and go back home. Leah internally rolled her eyes, _like that's going to happen, they're going to want my head on a stick for what I did to their golden boy._

"And you don't care that it rots your organs?"

"If I cared I wouldn't smoke it, would I?" She snapped irritably, sighing immediately afterwards. _Snapping at a vampire isn't the smartest idea of the week. _"Sorry...I guess I'm feeling homesick or something."

"Understandable," The vampire agreed, ignoring Leah's own _unique_ stench and taking a seat beside her on the concrete. "I'm Alice by the way."

"Leah." The werewolf took one last drag of her smoke before stubbing it out on the concrete and flicking it into the scrubby trees growing by the driveway.

Sitting up was more of a relief than anything else as she brought her gaze onto the petite paleface gracing her presence. It was nothing but a brief glance, and soon enough Leah's eyes were wandering the trees in front of them just by the long winding driveway. _What I would give..._

"So, Bella will be awake soon. Fourteen minutes and twenty-three seconds to be exact."

"And you know this how?" She didn't even bother to take her eyes off the forest, and Alice could only draw her brows together in confusion as she noticed.

"I uh...I sort of see the future or well...the outcomes of decisions." Leah nodded unaffected and the vampire's confusion grew to the point of complete silence. Alice broke it after an agonising four minutes. "Aren't you shocked or something?"

The werewolf chuckled dryly, "No, why would I be? I'm a werewolf, you're a vampire and I've basically been ran off my land, so no nothing shocks me much these days."

"You speak about it as though you're reading it directly from a novel." She observed quietly, honey coloured eyes shining in concern. "Quite appropriate I suppose given your predicament."

"You're telling me." She sighed, turning her head to give the worried vampire a very, _very_ small grin. "You see the future huh? That's pretty cool."

Alice took the hint and smiled softly, nodding her head at the same moment. If Leah didn't wish to speak about what had happened then so be it.

"Yes, it definitely has its benefits, except, when it comes to your kind. I can't see you or your pack mates but I _can _see around you, which I find strange but whatever." She shrugged, choosing to pretend she hadn't noticed how the werewolf had cringed at the mention of her pack. "I've been keeping an eye on your tribe actually, but it gets a little painful after awhile so I didn't really see much. At first I was watching them to make sure they hadn't ordered your pack to attack my family for breaking the treaty."

"And now?" Leah enquired curiously.

"Well I suppose I've also been looking for any decisions concerning you. I didn't get a very clear vision, however, I did see a woman...about middle age with dark hair. She was smiling if it's any consolation and she looked awfully relieved." Leah thought of her mother and wondered if that could have been the woman the vampire saw. "Maybe things will work out after all."

"Maybe," Leah shrugged as though unaffected when in reality her heart seized in fear. What was going to happen if they banished her from La Push for the rest of her life? How was she supposed to handle not seeing her brother...her mother, especially after their last conversation? Sue tried to be there for her and love her like a mother should, and the werewolf had pushed her away and ignored her mother's cries when she did. "But don't count on it."

"How can you be so sure?" Alice whispered sadly, her heart going out to the now suddenly exhausted looking woman beside her. Leah scoffed bitterly.

"You'd be surprised by how manipulative Jacob Black can be. He's the council's golden boy all bar Sam who hates him with a passion almost as strong as my own." The werewolf cracked her neck to the left and the right and was oblivious to the vampire's flinching at the sickening sound. She shook her head, "No, I'd be very surprised if the council take my side over Jacob."

Alice floundered for a moment unsure of how to respond to that particular statement, and just as she was about to speak her mother appeared at the front door behind them and called Leah's name gently, successively cutting through the awkward tension. The younger vampire thanked her silently in her mind.

"Yes?" Leah glanced over her shoulder in question at the older female.

"I thought you might be hungry so I made you some lunch. You didn't eat breakfast this morning." Esme walked out the glass door with a plate in her hand, a delicious looking club sandwich perched on the expensive dish. Leah was afraid she was drooling.

"Thank you, Esme." The werewolf blushed and silently praised her tanned skin for covering the extent of her reddening cheeks. She felt embarrassed about her past hatred of the family of vampires now that she knew what kind and honest people they truly were.

Esme simply shook her head with a smile and handed her the plate, "Nonsense, you don't have to thank me, I quite enjoy cooking for you and Bella. It's a nice change."

"Well in that case I'll enjoy eating it." Smiling a tiny smile, sadness filled her gaze as she thought of her mother. "When mum cooked she cooked enough food for the entire pack. It was usually pound after pound of grilled meat, so it's nice to eat something different for once."

Esme sat down beside the werewolf with grace the rivalled an angels, a sympathetic smile on her face as she observed Leah's control at trying to hide just how upset she was at what had taken place, doing it so well in fact that it was heartbreaking. The older vampire couldn't blame her though especially knowing that separation from your family was something not taken lightly by anybody, add to it everything else that's happened and she knew the werewolf was hurting more than she led on.

Esme was a mother, she knew these things.

She wanted to reach out and hold her like she had Bella, but the danger that put her in was far too great. It wasn't that she didn't trust the young woman it was just that she barely knew her, and her dear Carlisle would have a fit if she were injured because of her over-caring nature. The werewolf wasn't asking for a hug or anything remotely similar, so she forced herself to stay put.

"Leah, I'm sure everything will work out in the end."

Leah didn't have anything to say to that and instead remained silent, forcing herself to eat the delicious looking sandwich regardless of not even being hungry anymore, her appetite long gone. Esme had gone to the trouble of making it and it would've been rude for her to turn her nose up at it after everything the immortal family had done for her. So she ate it silently, choosing to ignore when the two vampires stood and returned inside with the realisation that the werewolf wanted to be alone, hence her being outside in the first place. They didn't want to be a burden on the werewolf.

Leah sat outside long after she finished her sandwich, staring with drawn eyes out at the forest longingly, wanting nothing more than to shed her clothes and shift her bones. This was the longest period she'd gone without phasing and her beast craved its freedom even though it was threatened with the possible loss of its mate.

She didn't want to risk that, she didn't even want to think about how she'd broken Jacob's orders in the first place but she was so glad she had. That little fact, the mental break from her pack, scared her because somehow she knew it separated her further from her family and her tribe, making her all the more foreign and stranger. There was always the chance that her resistance to his orders weren't permanent and she was in no hurry to find out; she wouldn't risk ever losing Bella again.

"Hey, you."

A smile tugged at the corner of Leah's lips as she tilted her head to the side, dark eyes taking in the simple beauty of her imprint. Instantly, all thoughts of phasing and feeling the soil between her paws left her mind. Bella stood behind her to the side, hands clasped in front of her and a nervous smile on her face. Her hair was hung down her back and over her shoulders, pink lip trapped between nibbling teeth, cheeks rosy and flushed from the chill she'd walked out into. Skinny jeans fit snugly against her legs, knitted cardigan hugging her torso to keep some of the chill at bay and off her flesh. Leah smiled gently and lent back onto one of her hands, opening the other in invitation as she noticed Bella's light shiver.

"Come here," Leah murmured, smiling wider as the brunette snuggled into her side, soaking up the werewolf's warmth with a small sigh of relief from the chill.

Pushing Bella's hair to the side to expose her throat, Leah buried her face in the tantalising looking crook and pressed her lips to her pulse point, which was pulsing healthily in greeting.

"How're you this morning?"

"Alright I suppose," The tension and hesitation alone in the brunette's voice had Leah pulling back so she could see her face, frowning in concern as she did so. Bella was looking slightly pale in regards to how she had been flushed when she came out only minutes earlier.

"You don't have to lie to me, what's wrong?"

Chocolate coloured eyes flickered downwards to where the werewolf realised she was gently caressing Bella's thigh, just above her knee, and horror raced through Leah as she quickly snatched her hand away. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

"Oh shit, I'm sorry! I didn't even realise I was doing it, god, you must think I'm some sort of se-"

Soft fingers on her lips cut the werewolf's unnecessary babbling off while the brunette's other hand reached over to reclaim Leah's, placing it exactly where she'd had it before freaking out. She removed her finger from the tantalising lips and replaced them with her own, kissing her softly.

"That wasn't bothering me...it actually felt nice so please stop worrying. I'm not going to break down when you touch me or kiss me, okay?" Bella ran her thumb over the tensed knuckles until she felt them relax in her hold. She kissed the side of the werewolf's mouth, closing her eyes tightly as she moved her head onto Leah's shoulder. "I just had a nightmare, it's not all that shocking really. And before you ask no I don't want to talk about it, okay? I just want you to hold me."

Leah swallowed back the raw hatred that cursed through her as she was reminded of what had happened days earlier, and instead focused on the young woman in her arms, pulling her closer and entwining their fingers in the hope of calming her.

"I can do that. I can definitely do that." Leah whispered into her imprint's thick hair, turning her head to place a kiss on her temple. "I love you, Bella."

Bella returned to sentiment in a small yet somehow strong and reassuring voice, successfully quelling any of the werewolf's remaining tension. Bella was in her arms and nothing else mattered, not Leah's desire to phase and definitely not that prick Jacob.

The day passed with very little stress in Leah's opinion at least. They sat out on the driveway in each other's arms until the sun shifted behind the clouds before finally retiring back inside to watch Emmett and Edward battling over the Xbox, grumbling obscenities at one another as they did so. Watching them be so care free made Bella wish she'd gotten to know them better at school. She felt horrible for ignoring them simply because her boyfriend told her too. Granted they were vampires but that just didn't seem to bother her as much as the fact that Jacob thought he could order her around. She pushed it to the back of her mind though because she really didn't want to upset such a nice family with something completely unnecessary.

Esme brought the two women out snacks every hour or so when the she heard the werewolf's stomach growling and it wasn't long before Bella and Leah were snuggled up on the couch where they spoke softly between each other, trying to ignore the fact that every word they said was heard by the entire household.

The werewolf was trying to relax in the stench that she was sure bathed her skin now (as she had been trying to do the whole time), but couldn't do it completely no matter how much she attempted to familiarise herself with the scent the paleface's emitted. The stench was the equivalent of tying rotting road kill around your neck and sitting in the sun to let it fester into your own flesh. Revolting, but alas she tried.

In fact she had just started to make herself ignorant of the foul odour by burying her nose in her imprint's neck and breathing in her less foul smell, happily losing herself in the brunette's natural scent. It really didn't help that they were both wearing clothes that belonged to both Rosalie and Esme, making them smell almost as bad as the owners of the clothes. She was perfectly content where she was and that also seemed to go for Bella as well...or at least it did until Jasper appeared briskly in the room, expression causing both the brunette and the werewolf to freeze up.

They watched him swallow heavily, bright eyes flickering over to them nervously before settling on Carlisle who had appeared almost as quickly as his son.

"It seems as though the La Push council have finally made their decision."

Carlisle nodded grimly and Leah bristled as she automatically held her imprint tighter into her side.

"How many did you see?" Carlisle asked calmly as his family, all bar Edward, flocked silently into the room, similar grim expressions on their faces.

"I didn't. I smelt them...two wolves at least and one human." Jasper ran a hand through his hair, something Leah noticed offhandedly that the bronze vampire did when he was nervous as well. It was only when Jasper turned his eyes to hers that she gave him her full attention. "Do you know why they would be driving? Do you think it could be a good sign?"

Leah shook her head distractedly, eyes trained in the direction of the front of the house as she slowly got to her feet, gently handing her imprint over to Esme as she passed her. She could hear the vehicle rumbling up the driveway now that the paleface had brought her attention to it.

"Baby, where are you going?" Bella panicked slightly, gripping the female vampire's arm as she watched the wolf disappear around the corner. She turned to Esme worried, "Esme? Where's she going?"

The entire family of vampires seemed to be just as concerned and confused as the human and slowly followed after the tanned woman, Esme guiding Bella along with an arm around her shoulder's protectively. There was no way in hell she was going to suffer the werewolf's wrath if anything happened to Bella.

Shuffling out the house, their confused gazes went to Leah who was standing a few metres ahead of them with her eyes closed in concentration her nose in the air as she tried to catch the scents Jasper had been talking about.

Dark eyes snapped open and widened substantially, a gasp leaving her lips that nobody could identify with any one emotion. Everybody remained silent, waiting for something more out of the werewolf, something to tell them just how serious this was and in fact they were so absorbed that they all jumped when Leah's head turned in the direction where she knew the vehicle would break through the trees any second.

"Seth..."

A truck rounded through the trees, a truck both Bella and Leah knew to belong to the female werewolf's mother, and there sitting in the cab were three of only four people who could bring a genuine smile to her face; Sam, Seth and Sue.

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_I wonder where Edward disapeared to...no really I haven't decided yet hahaha_

_Keep those reviews coming guys!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART NINE**

**A/N - Hey guys, here's the next chapter! Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming! I even added extended Seth time for one of my faithful readers, you know who you are...you're welcome! Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

It was all very strange for Bella to watch the woman she loved with all her heart embrace the man the werewolf had once loved deeply, and it was even stranger to see her smile into his shoulder _and_ _laugh _as he lifted her and twirled her around like a fucking child.

Seriously, what the hell?

That strange thought accompanied by a very strange and very foreign bout of jealousy kept the brunette where she was among the Cullen's because she was far too stubborn to admit defeat at what she was feeling when it came to Sam and Leah's embrace. It was irrational and hypocritical given how Bella had flaunted her own relationship with Jacob in Leah's face constantly, but the way Sam and Leah held one another still didn't sit well with her. They were ex-lovers and Bella knew for a fact that Sam had been Leah's first with almost everything, so to say she was relieved when they broke apart would've been the understatement of the century. It even pleased her just a tiny bit to see Leah hit Sam in the shoulder before motioning to her still sore ribs.

_God, I'm a horrible girlfriend._

In her peripheral vision she could see Jasper looking at her strangely but she ignored it for everyone's sake, including her own, and instead stepped away from Esme and made for Sam instead who had turned and opened his arms in invitation to her. He was smiling so happily that she felt momentarily guilty for having felt what she had moments ago. It wasn't until she was in the older Quileute's arms that she realised just how much she had missed him, so she couldn't exactly blame Leah for feeling the same.

"I'm so glad to see you, Sam." Bella's words were muffled against his rock hard chest; one that she now noticed was covered with a shirt for the first time since she'd met him. She pulled back with a puzzled frown, tugging the piece of material in question. "What's this then?"

He laughed lightly and pulled his collar, "Do you like it? I thought I'd go for something different today."

She nodded her head in agreement. "You look very smart."

"Please. He doesn't look anywhere near as sweet as me."

Both Bella and Sam turned to lay their eyes on Seth as he stood in front of his mother and Leah who were embracing behind him and whispering things for their ears only. He smiled as he opened his arms wide to give the brunette a better view of the black singlet and skinny jeans he wore, pecks well defined regardless of having less muscle mass then the other men of the pack.

Sam simply rolled his eyes when he noticed Bella's eyes rake over the smaller boy's body in contemplation, snorting out a laugh when Seth noticed and lowered his arms and eyes in embarrassment, blushing heavily. What did he expect, honestly?

"Aw Seth are you trying to impress somebody?" The brunette walked over and wrapped her arms around the younger boy's neck, hugging him with a small giggle. "Ah, I missed you Seth."

"But we didn't even know each other that well." The Quileute pulled back and smiled curiously, cheeks still flushed from his previous embarrassment. The woman in front of him gave a soft nod.

"That's exactly why I've missed you so much. I haven't had the chance to really talk to you and get to know you, and I feel horrible about that."

His brow furrowed in confusion, "So you miss me out of guilt or something?"

"No, I just feel as though I should've reached out to you more but...Jacob didn't like that idea so much, so I never did." Bella's eyes swirled with what Seth could only identify as shame. Her lips turned downwards but with a small shake of her head she gave the youngest werewolf a small smile. "But now that I'm with Leah I'm pretty sure she won't have a problem with me wanting to bond with you."

A light grin found its way back onto Seth's face as he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, lowering and tilting his head in the most adorable way.

"I'm sure she won't. I'd really like to bond with you since you're her imprint and all. I mean, it'd be a shame for us to absolutely loath each other given that you'll probably be around a fair bit."

"Well, as your sister's imprint I would love to bond with you too." They shared one last smile before looking over to where Sam was speaking quietly with the Cullen's. His expression gave away nothing of what he could possibly be speaking about and that caused Bella to frown slightly. She wondered if she had cause to worry.

Eventually Leah and Sue joined Seth and Bella, Sue wrapping her in a comforting hug and whispering words of encouragement and pride into her ear for how she had handled everything so strongly; like a real imprint. The brunette was overwhelmed slightly but found herself wrapping her arms around the older woman with the knowledge that at least some of the La Push tribe were taking her and Leah's side, utterly relieved that it was Leah's mother.

Sue had always been a lovely lady as far as Bella was concerned. She was nothing like her husband who she had noticed steered clear of both her presence and even any conversation with her entirely when she was in La Push. He was distant and cold and she could hardly believe how Sue and Harry had come to fall in love and start a family. Glancing at Leah who was now speaking with Sam, Bella was glad they had because the love she felt for the werewolf was something she could never see herself feeling for anyone else.

"Alright then, I suppose we should take this inside." Carlisle spoke up after a moment. He motioned for the door, "Please go right in. Would you like anything to eat? A drink perhaps while we speak?" He addressed this to all three new arrivals specifically.

"A coffee would be lovely, thank you." Sue replied with a kind smile, making a steady and calm pace toward her daughter. She glanced over her shoulder with a furrowed brow when she noticed her son and Bella still standing in the driveway, looking as though they had no intention of following. "Are you two coming inside?"

Bella didn't want to, she knew that much. She honestly couldn't bear to hear what they had to say; she didn't want to hear about Jacob or the pack, she just wanted to ignore their existence completely and pretend that nothing horrible had ever happened for the time being, but given that they were a tribe and Leah was part of it, the werewolf wouldn't share her wishes.

"I'm don't think so."

Leah tensed up at her imprint's firm response, and her eyes flashed protectively as she locked the brunette in a silent stand-off.

"Yes you are." Leah almost flinched at the anger directed toward her from the brunette. She floundered for a moment, "I just...I don't want you out here by yourself, Bella."

A throat clearing from beside Bella had Leah's gaze forced upon her brother's curiously as he scratched his neck awkwardly under her scrutiny.

"I'll stay with her. We'll go for a walk or something." He held up his hands to stop his sister from retorting. "I'll keep her safe, Leah. You know I wouldn't let her get into trouble, she'll be fine with me." He reassured softly, seeing the anxious fear in Leah's eyes.

The female werewolf clenched her teeth together as she glanced between her imprint and her brother, growling threateningly once she locked gazes with the latter.

"If anything happens to her so help me god, you're going to suffer!"

"Leah!" Bella and Sue admonished in astonishment.

"Don't 'Leah' me. You have no idea what I'm feeling right now, so please just..." Grinding her teeth together to stop herself from completely freaking out, she looked at Seth pleadingly, "Just keep her safe, Seth."

Bella found herself in front of the distressed werewolf without conscious thought of even moving, absolutely touched at how protective Leah was of her to even go as far as to threaten her brother in front of her mother. She dug her nails gently into the wolf's neck and pulled her down until their lips met tenderly, caressing in the sweetest of dances. She pulled back far too soon in Leah's opinion.

"Trust your brother, Leah, I do."

Leah knew that something like that wasn't easy for Bella to admit, especially after everything that had happened, so she hugged the fragile woman closer and allowed her eyes to flicker briefly over to her brother before she sighed heavily and pulled back, kissing Bella's lips softly.

"I trust him."

x-o-x

"So...the weather's nice today huh?" Seth broke the silence, an awkward twinge to his voice as he did so.

As soon as the three Quileute's and the Cullen's had gone inside, Leah last, Bella had started a slow stroll down to the path that went off into the forest, Seth close behind her. They had walked in silence for almost half an hour before the brunette had decided to sit on one of the many fallen tree logs that she'd come to pass. She could only assume most were from one of the Cullen's; games to prove their strength or something because there were no way all of them were naturally caused.

They'd been sitting there for only 10 minutes when the silence became too much for Seth, so much so that it was almost stifling. He was fidgeting in his place across from her where he stood leaning against a moist tree, eyes slowly scanning the forest for any possible threats coming their way.

"Don't feel the need to start a conversation if you don't want to. I'm quite content with the silence; it's peaceful and it allows you that time to think that you usually don't get."

"It's just that I feel like I need to start a conversation with you after everything that's happened lately." He muttered, followed by an embarrassed chuckle. "You must think I'm pretty pathetic."

"Not at all, Seth, but can I ask you something?" He nodded, "Why are you dressed like that? I know we weren't really close but I've never seen you wear anything so...flashy." The brunette smiled, "You look very handsome actually."

The werewolf shrugged indifferently but she wasn't ignorant of the way his eyes lit up.

"I ah...I found my imprint." When he realised Bella was waiting for him to continue, he sighed and shuffled his canvas shoes on the dirt, suddenly unsure of himself. "Mum asked me to go see your dad and let him know everything was alright. She figured maybe if I went in person instead of over the phone, which I'll admit we've been doing since...well yeah, anyways she figured it'd make him feel better."

"Oh my god! Charlie! I completely forgot about him, what did you tell him?" She interrupted slightly panicked, causing the youngest wolf to grin.

"Not the truth obviously. We just told him that you and Jacob broke up, and you were staying with Leah cause she could understand what you were going through better than anyone else."

"So he's going to think Jacob left me for someone else?"

Seth nodded shyly, "Yeah, sorry bout that, but it was the most believable excuse we could come up with."

Bella visibly relaxed but still her eyes were worried.

"What if he tries to visit and finds out I'm not there?"

"He won't. You know what your dad's like; he doesn't go near hormonal teenage girls when there's a chance they could, well, get hormonal."

Silence followed and for a moment Seth was hopeful Bella had forgotten about how this conversation was started, but realised with a groan that she hadn't as she motioned for him to sit beside her. He did so reluctantly, fidgeting the entire time.

"So tell me about this lucky lady you're so desperate to impress." She bumped her shoulder with his playfully like old friends would. "Don't be shy."

"I was leaving your place and this girl about your age pulled up looking for you, I guess she was a friend of yours, anyways, we both made complete fools of ourselves. Honestly, we were stuttering and staring like we had no bloody functioning of the brain." Though his tone was embarrassed and he shook his head to emphasise the stupidity he felt, there was still a warm smile on his face. "She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." He laughed lightly, "I guess it took me by surprise."

No matter what had lead to him finding his other half, Bella couldn't have been happier for Seth.

"So does mystery woman have a name or didn't you two get that far?"

"Oh right," He cleared his throat, "So anyways once we'd gotten over the initial shock she was a bit reluctant to speak to me, confused about what she was feeling maybe, but she asked me about you, so I guess she was worried." Bella smiled as she thought of the one person who would go out of their way to make sure she was alright. She held no doubt about whom the beautiful woman he was speaking of was. "I told her exactly what I told your dad and even though she seemed a little upset that you'd go to Leah instead of her, she sucked it up and introduced herself." Seth sighed dreamily, "I swear she has the most breathtaking smile."

"A name, Seth!" Bella laughed lightly, grinning as he blushed once again in embarrassment. Did everything embarrass this kid, or was it just her?

"Angela Webber." He looked down at his clasped hands and smiled sweetly. "She's so beautiful."

Bella wanted to tell him that she was also dating one of her other friend's, Ben, but decided that right now wasn't the time. That would be cruel and she honestly didn't want to crush his poor heart. Instead, she smiled softly and pat his shoulder gently.

"Angela's probably my closest friend you know. I'm glad you didn't imprint on somebody undeserving of your affections." _Let's hope she accepts the pull of the imprint._

The two settled into a comfortable silence then, Seth no longer searching for threats through the forest but rather admiring the beauty it was made of; the rustling of the leaves in the breeze and the small dots of sunshine able to penetrate the thick canopy of the trees. It truly was a gorgeous sight.

It seemed like hours had passed when in reality Bella knew it had only been one at the very least. She knew Leah would be going out of her mind with worry regardless of having Seth with her and she honestly couldn't blame her. Leah's mind worked simply; she couldn't protect Bella herself, so who was to say her brother could do it any better. Bella knew all of this and yet she loved her all the more for being so concerned and not trying to hide behind a facade.

"Would you like to know what happened at La Push?" That effectively broke the peaceful silence they had fallen into. Bella tensed automatically and Seth wished he had never opened his mouth.

"Not particularly. Leah will fill me in when I get back, I'm sure."

"I guess so." He nodded thoughtfully before sighing and pushing himself to get to his feet. He looked down at Bella with apology painted on his face. "I'm sorry for bringing it up..."

A half-hearted smile formed on her lips but her eyes remained downcast, "Don't be. It's not your fault."

Seth seemed to contemplate something for a moment before he tugged at the hem of his singlet awkwardly and opted to play the safe card. He wasn't going to push her to talk and he definitely wasn't going to drop information on her that she clearly didn't want to hear.

"Do you um...do you want to head back now?" He changed his approach quickly and decided then and there that if she wanted to talk, she would, and he knew it was the right decision when she relaxed instantly and finally made eye contact. A small smile played at her lips.

"Yeah, let's head back. Leah's probably going to have your head for keeping me away so long as it is already."

"You think she'll settle for an eye only if we hurry back?" He joked, almost going as far as to show his relief when Bella giggled by wiping his forehead in exaggeration. He held back for the sake of his own embarrassment and grinned instead.

"Maybe, but you'll definitely have to do some serious arse kissing, that's a given."

_XxXxXxXx_

_Next chapter we find out what the council decided on and what Bella and Leah will do...maybe, you'll have to wait and see :) _

_Leave me your thoughts!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART TEN**

**A/N - Hey guys, now I'm not sure when the next update will be out, I'm gonna try for a week like usual but I'm going to be bloody busy for the next month or so. Monday to Wednesday I'll be in Melbourne and without my lap top (HELP ME!) visiting the tutankhamun exibit with my Ancient class, and from then onwards I have a shit load of school work to do. My trial HSC is the 3rd week back and I still gotta write out summaries of my work and study it (yes, I've left it to the last minute so technically that's my fault). Anways, point is I'm going to be really busy and I'm just not sure how fast my updates will be, but rest assured I'll be writing whenever I can. Hopefully at the very most the updates will be a few days later than usual...but we'll see.**

**Okay, I think I've babbled on long enough...so enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Leah was waiting for them when they returned, well Bella wasn't sure she'd call it waiting per say, more appropriately she was only_ just _holding back from rushing into the forest to find them. The relief on the werewolf's face would've been amusing in any other situation but Bella couldn't deny that she too felt that relief of being in each other's presence once again. They weren't separated _long_ but she'd still missed the werewolf horribly in that time.

Leah practically swallowed her in her familiar embrace when she stepped off the path and onto the driveway, Seth following closely behind her and sidestepping their little gooey moment in hopes of escaping his older sister's wrath. No such luck though when he felt Leah's strong arm shoot out and catch him as he tried to pass, ignoring his protests as she continued to embrace her imprint.

She pulled back after placing a kiss to her imprint's neck, smiling softly at Bella and turning her head to her brother, raising an eyebrow in a clearly unimpressed manner, smile slipping scarily off her face.

"Do you know how long you were gone?" Seth swallowed loudly and shook his head at the fierce look in Leah's eyes. "No? Well, you were gone well over three hours. Should I be particularly worried about why that is?"

Bella honest to god wanted to laugh when she watched the younger werewolf sweat under his sibling's gaze, his eyes shifting around nervously and refusing to make any eye contact whatsoever.

"N-no..."

At his pathetic stutter Bella couldn't contain her laughter, the sound something that Leah hadn't heard for far too long, since before the incidence, and it alone made the female werewolf drop her tough guy demeanour and smile.

"Don't be so hard on him, Leah, he found his imprint." Bella wanted to put him out of his misery, but also noticed in confusion that the smile slipped off Leah's face quickly. It had the desired effect though, so that was a plus.

A thoughtful look crossed the older Quileute's face and the hand that had a hold of Seth fell away without much conscious thought on her behalf.

"You did?"

"Yeah, Bella's best friend apparently." Seth was unbelievably relieved that Bella had successfully steered his sister's interests elsewhere. He smiled in uncertainty. "Her name's Angela."

She pursed her lips, "Well just be careful, okay? I don't want her breaking your heart."

Bella rolled her eyes and wrapped her own arms around the female werewolf, kissing her cheek sweetly as if calling her to turn her head. Leah did, and couldn't stop herself from leaning down and pressing her lips to those soft ones' of her imprint.

"Leave your brother alone. He's a big boy; he knows not to rush into anything that could result in him being hurt." Bella looked back over to Seth. "Don't you, Seth?"

"Of course I do. I'm not about to rush over there and declare my undying love for her...that'd scare anybody away. Bella can introduce us some time," Bella nodded in agreement as he gave her a questioning glance, "Maybe when you introduce Leah as your girlfriend?"

"I'll tell her about my relationship with Leah in due time, but I can't tell her the entire truth until you decide to reveal your...tribe's secret, and there's no rush for that." Bella extracted herself from her girlfriend's body and took her hand instead. "But...I probably should tell you something, Seth. I didn't want to but I think it'll be worse if you found out yourself."

"What?" He tilted his head to the side bemused. Bella frowned in apology.

"Angela has a boyfriend." _Subtly is so your forte...not._

"Oh." Scratching his ear thoughtfully, Seth looked downwards in mild disappointment. "That complicates things a bit. I'm glad you told me, though." He gave her a very small, almost insignificant smile. "I probably would've looked pretty pathetic if I had they decided to lock lips in front of me."

"They aren't really into PDA, so you should be safe from that. The most they do in public is hold hands."

"In public..." He echoed sadly, all the while nodding his head. "Does she...love him?"

Bella sighed, "I honestly don't know. She may be my closest friend but she's still a very private person. She doesn't share those things."

"Maybe this is a good thing, her relationship with someone else I mean. It'll give you the chance to get to know her as a friend first, than she has more time to understand her feelings for you." Leah explained sympathetically.

"Definitely give her time to get used to it because...that intense attraction is so sudden it's terrifying. I honestly couldn't believe what I was feeling when I first met Leah, I mean, I thought I was in love with Jacob...but what I instantly felt for Leah crushed what I felt for him in a heartbeat." Leah glanced away awkwardly, feeling somewhat guilty for being the reason she and Bella had both suffered, even though she knew it was irrational. It was Jacob's fault, but she still carried the guilt of having known the truth all that time and not being able to reveal it. Bella squeezed her hand to calm her, somehow knowing exactly what the werewolf was feeling without words. "If Angela does love Ben then she needs time to separate her feelings for you and those for him. If you become her friend then I'm sure it'll help her along. You can't rush something like this."

Seth shifted nervously from where he stood, and eventually ended up tucking his hands into his pockets. "Why'd you stay with Jacob if you were in love with my sister?"

"She didn't know I felt the same, Seth. You know that." Leah narrowed her eyes in warning. "Now drop it."

"No, I'm curious. I want to know why you stayed with Jacob. Why not just leave him? You didn't have to stay with him just cause you thought Leah didn't love you." The question wasn't bitter or anything of the sort, but Seth refused to give up just because his sister said so. He understood their reluctance in speaking about it but that wasn't about to stop him.

The growl that was directed at Seth from his sister made Bella's eyes widen slightly but instead of scolding Leah about it verbally she slapped her arm, and followed it up with a stern 'quit it' look before turning back to a subtly defiant Seth.

"If I'd left Jacob, what do you think my chances of seeing Leah were?" Her voice was quiet and it was the only evidence of her hesitance to answer. "I know I hurt her daily by being with Jacob, I even hurt myself by doing it, but it was all I could do. Before all this shit happened I felt guilty for going behind Jacob's back and using him, but now I could care less about that bastard. I'm sorry for how much pain I caused your sister, but I suffered as well."

Seth started to nod in agreement but stopped suddenly, casting Bella his most confused expression all day in her opinion.

"What do you mean go behind his back?" He glanced between the two women in front of him in realisation. "You never did that, did you? I didn't think you could...you know, with Jacob's orders and all."

Leah scoffed out loud both at his inability to say _have sex _and his practically child-like ignorance, tugging her girlfriend back toward the house entrance. She'd had enough of this.

"Jacob's orders prevented me from treating her respectively and speaking about the imprint or my love for her, not from touching her."

Bella giggled behind her hand and leant into her werewolf's side, glancing over her shoulder at a gaping Seth, his eyes wide and mouth open in a silent gasp. _Is...is she saying what I think she's saying?_

He broke out of his haze when the two women entered the house and out of sight, shouting out an indignant 'hey' and chasing after them.

"You can't leave it like that." He huffed in mock frustration, an amused grin on his face once he caught up with them in the foyer. "Were you two doing the dirty in secret?"

Leah chuckled, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Oh, gross! You were!"

Sue and Seth ended up staying the rest of the afternoon but Sam had gone home back to Emily with the excuse of missing her soon after Seth and Bella had gotten back. Leah couldn't argue with him about that anymore because she felt exactly the same when she was away from her own imprint; quite pathetic really but she didn't mind so much.

The brunette observed everybody's behaviour after Sam left and the afternoon progressed, the Cullen's included, and whilst everybody seemed to be in a state of relief almost, Bella could still feel her girlfriend's apprehension and restlessness. She wasn't sure why she could sense it but she was sure it was because of the bond they shared as a result of the imprint.

If the look in Leah's eyes told her anything, it was that she definitely wasn't satisfied with whatever Sam and Sue had come here to tell them. But if everybody else's demeanour was anything to go by, everything seemed to be back to normal or close enough for them to be satisfied. Bella wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know what the council had decided concerning everything that'd happened, but she also wasn't sure she had much of a choice.

Would it be bad, or wouldn't it?

It was a full house for dinner considering the Cullen's didn't usually cook or even eat. It was an even bigger shock for Leah to find out that her mother had helped Esme with the preparation. She could practically see them in her mind as she ate, giggling and joking side by side as though the dearest of friends, smiles adorning their faces as they spoke of their children. It unnerved Leah slightly to see her mother _fraternising _with the 'enemy' but then again she couldn't exactly talk; she was living with them and quite content in doing so now that she had successfully ignored the smell. She also owed them her life, so they weren't the enemy in her books.

Leah only just finished eating a serving of chocolate cake for desert and was getting another one when Edward appeared beside his mother, smiling apologetically at the stern look she gave him. Nobody had seen him all day and Leah knew that had that have been Seth who'd done that to their mother, he would've been dragged up to his room by the ear and given a very heated lecture. But she supposed vampires were different with how Esme reacted.

"It's about time you got home. Where have you been? Alice told me not to worry...but I'm your mother, I'm supposed to worry."

Sue watched them subtly and smiled softly as she realised just how alike their interactions were to her own with her children. Growing up, she'd been told horrible stories about the legend of the cold ones, about their lust for blood, death and destruction, their lack of compassion and sincerity, and she could only frown upon those stories as she watched the two now.

"I'm glad you love me enough to worry, but I just needed some time to myself, Esme. I was safe and quite content, and besides it looks as though everything worked out just fine, anyways." The younger, though technically older, vampire placed a kiss upon his mother's forehead before turning to face their guests. He smiled at both Leah and Bella, but held out his hand to Sue. "My name's Edward, it's lovely to meet you Mrs Clearwater."

Sue inwardly bristled at the name but otherwise remained calm, showing no outward sign of her discomfort. "It's just Sue, please." She shook hands with the vampire and smiled, "It's nice to finally meet the mind reader of the family."

"Of course, Sue, but I do try to respect people's privacy." Smiling, he then held out his hand to Seth, "Hi there, Seth, I'm Edward."

"Nice to meet you," Seth mumbled between mouthfuls of cake, shaking his hand quickly before wiping the crumbs from his face and swallowing the food in his mouth. He smiled bashfully, "Sorry, Esme's a really great cook."

A hearty laugh echoed in the vampire's chest as Esme smiled giddily from her place by the counter. No doubt Edward found her thoughts amusing.

"Your thoughts are almost enough to make me want to take a bite myself." Edward joked with the youngest werewolf.

He paused for a moment as Alice beckoned him from upstairs impatiently.

Sighing and rolling his eyes dramatically he walked backwards out of the room, refusing to turn his back rudely on their guests. "Do excuse me; Alice isn't the most patient among us." He smiled at both Quileute's, "Hopefully I'll be seeing you both before you leave."

Unfortunately they did have to leave eventually, and even though Bella was upset with seeing them go, she knew Leah was even more so. They were her family, after all, and the brunette's guess had proved to be correct because once the two of them had gone upstairs, things changed.

Leah was distant now that they were alone but not in the physical sense, no her mind seemed to be elsewhere which was strange in itself. Bella tried not to pry, honestly she did, but when the silence became too much to bare she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Alright, Leah, spill." Bella didn't want to push the werewolf but there seemed to be no other option. At her girlfriend's confused hum she sighed. "What's wrong, Leah?" She prodded gently.

The female werewolf averted her gaze from Bella's probing one, even going as far as to turn her head slightly so there was no chance they'd accidently meet.

"Nothing."

"Cause that's always the most believable way to answer, isn't it?" Touching the werewolf's chin, Bella encouraged her to face her. She lowered her own head to catch those uniquely dark eyes and frowned at the anger she found in them. "Tell me what's wrong, Leah." She didn't answer, and hesitantly Bella opened her mouth again, "It has something to do with what they had to say today, I know that much. Is it really that...bad?"

Leah's eyes softened as she registered the anxiety in her imprint's eyes, and quickly shook her head, cupping the brunette's face. She stroked Bella's rosy cheeks wanting to calm her obvious distress, but at the same time mentally kicking herself for making her feel that way with her silence in the first place.

"No baby, it isn't bad...it's not what I would've decided on, but it isn't bad." She reassured in a soft voice. She hesitated, "Do you want to know what the council decided?"

It took a few minutes for her to nod her head, and even that was barely noticeable. The distress in her brown orbs made Leah's heart go out to her, and she couldn't stop herself from leaning in and brushing their lips together in reassurance.

"I don't want to know the details...I just want to know what's going to happen."

"Ultimately...they took our side." She watched for any sign of severe discomfort in her imprint's expression, continuing when she found none. "Jacob's not getting away for what he did to you supposedly...but then again, it's not the punishment I would've dealt him either. They demoted him from position of Alpha."

Bella clenched her teeth together as she fought off her tears, "That's all? He rapes me and beats you half to death, and all he gets is a fucking demotion from top dog?"

"Mum and Sam tried to press for something more serious, but Old Quil said a cooling off period would be best before serious punishment is given. He's on house arrest until then, ordered to him by the new Alpha." Leah grumbled low in her throat, "Fucking unbelievable if you ask me..."

"Who's the new Alpha?" Bella wasn't sure she really wanted to know. She waited with bated breath.

"Sam, but that's not the point, ya know? Jacob deserves...ugh! He deserves to burn in fucking hell for what he's done and even then that's far less then what he deserves!" The female werewolf shuffled off the bed away from her imprint until she was sure she could control the fury racing through her burning limbs. She stood before the bed and Bella, alternating between flexing her hands and fisting them to try and work it out. "I don't give a shit what the council say when it comes to that bastard; if I see him I'll fucking kill him."

Bella knew there was no doubt that Leah would do exactly that and it frightened her when she realised that she didn't have a problem with what Leah wanted to do. Yes, Jacob had hurt them both but did Bella really want Leah to stoop to his level? She knew within seconds that she wouldn't care so long as he got what he deserved, and he deserved to die. In her eyes Leah wouldn't ever be able to stoop that low.

"Would you think I'm a monster if I did?" Leah's broken whisper cut through the brunette's thoughts and broke her heart. It had taken far too long for Bella to respond, and now she worried she'd gone too far.

_Is she repulsed by me? Doesn't she want this? I only want to protect her!_

Bella rushed over to the female wolf, not giving two shits about the fact that Leah could lose control of her temper at any second and potentially hurt her, and pulled her into a hug that she knew would reassure her girlfriend.

"There is nothing you could do to make me think so lowly of you." She pulled back and wished with everything she had she could make the wolf understand where she was coming from. "You're Leah for goodness sakes! You're my hero, my saviour...the love of my life, but you're definitely not a monster and you never will be." Entwining their hands between them, she moved her lips along her strong jaw until she reached the hollow of her ear. "I love you and I will never stop loving you."

"Do you think he deserves death, or am I being biased?" Leah breathed against her throat, desperate to calm the barely contained rage she felt, the rage she had hidden so well when Sam first told her. "God, I want so badly to just accept everything that's happened and move on...but I know you aren't handling things as well as your making everyone think you are, and I can't just let that go. You're in pain, you're angry...you want to cry and scream at the same time, but you're so stubborn that you won't."

"I'm trying to put off the inevitable, Leah, because I know that when I do all the things you just said, I'm not going to handle it well at all. I'm not ready to deal with what happened. In fact I don't even want to think about it." Gentle hands ran through the werewolf's smooth hair. "There's no doubt in my mind that I want Jacob to suffer horribly for what he's done, but I don't want to lose you because of my selfishness."

Leah scooped her imprint up into her arms and carried her over to the bed as though she weighed less than a loaf of bread, and to her maybe she did. The werewolf wanted to forget everything and everyone; forget that even though they were alone that their conversation was being heard by whoever was in the house. The Cullen's obviously didn't mean to intrude with their sensitive hearing so Leah couldn't exactly be angry with them.

"You'll never lose me, I promise."

They cuddled close on top of the blankets rather than under them, sharing each other's body heat, breathing in what seemed to be synchronisation with each other. Leah was listening to her imprint's heart beat, so completely focused on it that she heard nothing else, smiling as it increased when she allowed her hand to venture under the brunette's shirt and settle over her stomach.

She ran her thumb gently in circles around her navel. _So silky smooth..._

"They want me to go back home." Leah murmured reluctantly, stilling her fingers for a moment as she allowed the words to leave her lips. "Everyone's curious about how I managed to disobey Alpha's orders...Sam thinks I've broken away from the pack."

"What?" Turning over to face the Quileute, Leah went to remove her hand from under her shirt but smiled when Bella stopped her. She was obviously enjoying the feeling too much to have her stop now.

"Carlisle suggested that we phase to prove it, so we did...and you know how in a pack we can hear each other's thoughts?" Bella nodded and Leah left out a quiet breath. "I couldn't hear Sam's thoughts, at all, just like I couldn't hear Jacob's when..." She trailed off knowing Bella understood where she was going. "Carlisle thinks that in my desperation to save you...I subconsciously turned my back on the pack."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means I have no ties to my tribe apart from my family now." Leah voice held a twinge of sadness and regret, "I told them I'd think about coming home for my mother's sake...but how can they expect me to forgive them for the months of humiliation and torment we've suffered?"

Leah didn't trust herself to speak openly if she had to look into Bella's eyes, so she closed them instead and pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm a horrible person. I should want to be back home with my family...I should be happy the council took my side, but I'm not." She admitted quietly. "I'm furious that my tribe, my people, allowed us to suffer when they didn't need to. I'm downright outraged that Jacob got off scot-free in comparison to how badly you suffered at his hands." She paused and released a shaky breath, "For the first time in my life, Bella, I'm ashamed of who I am and where I come from."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, Leah." Bella moved her hand under her own shirt to join her girlfriend's, entwining them in an unspoken unity.

"But I am." Opening her eyes Leah was met by those beautiful brown orbs that seemed to sooth her without even trying. Nobody had ever had that effect on her before.

"So what will we do?" Bella was willing to follow Leah to the end of the earth if that's what she wanted. _I'm not leaving your side._

Leah's voice quivered as she answered, reality slapping her violently in the face.

"I can't go home, I just can't."

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_Some of you were worried Leah would go back to La Push like nothing ever happened...well now you know she won't! But what will she do? You'll just have to wait and see._

_Reviews are greatly appreciated so don't be shy to leave me your thoughts :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  
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	11. Chapter 11

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART ELEVEN**

**A/N - Okay a few things to say, 1) Melbourne is an amazing city, 2) The tutankhamun exibit was absolutely brilliant! AND 3) I'm never sharing a room with two girls for three days ever again :( So many clothes and not enough floor space, like seriously, they both stripped wherever they were standing and just left their clothes in a pile there. No joke. I swear I couldn't get in the damn bathroom at all, I ended up spending most of my time in the boy's room when we weren't exploring the city. No but seriously, the whole trip was amazing :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming guys! They motivate me to move my arse and get the chapter's out as quickly as possible. Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

"So you're really doing this, then?"

The Cullen house was relatively empty apart from one werewolf and a human that is. They were sitting on the floor of the spacious living room and up against the couch with the telephone book laid out in front of them. Leah sat staring at a number in the book with thoughtful sadness in her eyes, phone sitting idly in one hand and Bella's in her other.

Only a week had passed since Sam had told them of the council's decision concerning Jacob but still Bella and Leah were living under the Cullen's roof much to Esme's utter delight and Sue's chagrin. It wasn't that the Quileute disliked the motherly vampire because she didn't; she was kind and pleasant company. No, it was just that she missed her daughter. No further punishment for Jacob had been decided as far as anybody was aware and Sue, seemingly ignorant of her daughter's inner turmoil about leaving the Cullen's sanctuary, wanted Leah home with her where she could look after her, not Esme.

That seemed to go unnoticed, however, because her daughter was showing no signs of coming home as far as she could tell.

Bella was beginning to feel like a bit of a leech, no pun intended, with all the sitting around doing nothing all day and skipping school that she was doing. Charlie and Renee had both been on her back, calling her daily, about how a broken heart was no excuse for skipping school and avoiding going home. Bella was sure they'd think differently if they knew the truth.

So here they sat, Leah and Bella, alone in the house for the first time since they'd arrived unconscious some time ago. The Cullen's agreed that with the threat from La Push now less intense the two younger women would be safe by themselves for the day, and a proper hunt could be undertaken.

Leah growled in annoyance at herself for stalling, and quickly dialed the number she'd been staring at for so long, putting the phone to her ear before she could chicken out. It rang for a few seconds before a croaky voice answered with a tired cliché greeting of 'Hello, how may I help you?'

"Yeah um…I'm after a room….yeah, Queen's fine …how much if I was to stay sort of temporarily until I can find myself a place…a weekly payment?...I suppose that's a reasonable price then." Leah paused for a moment as the man went over the extra charges for taking from the miniature fridge. The werewolf quickly interrupted him. "I know all of this, so I'll be down within the day to pay for the room….probably tomorrow, alright thank you. Bye."

Leah pulled the phone from her ear and gazed at it blankly for a minute before sighing and reaching over to hang it up. Grunting, she plopped back down on the floor beside her imprint.

"Are you sure about this, Leah? You can still back out, you haven't told your mum yet." Bella asked softly, closing the phone book as she did so. Maybe if the number disappeared from view it'd make what they had just done less horrible or something.

Leah nodded without so much as a smile, lifting her arm and placing it over Bella's shoulders so she could pull her into her side smoothly.

"I'm positive, Bella. I can't go back to La Push, simple as that." Kissing her temple, Leah extracted herself from the saddened brunette and pulled herself to her feet, snatching up the phone book at the same time. "Come on, let's go get some lunch, I'm damn near starved with Esme not here."

"How do you expect to feed yourself if you're living alone, then?" The brunette worried about how hard this would hit Sue, Leah moving out that is, and refusing to return home. She couldn't blame her really, but that didn't make her feel any less guilty about potentially destroying her girlfriend's kind mother with the news.

Bella followed the werewolf into the kitchen and pushed the unwanted thoughts from her mind, smirking instead at the way her girlfriend was just standing in front of the open fridge and staring inside it. She giggled, "Would you like me to make us something?"

The werewolf cleared her throat embarrassedly and blushed, stepping away from the fridge and letting it close, "Yeah…um, how about you show me how to make….something, anything would be good." She ran a hand through her hair, "I'm pretty useless when it comes to the kitchen. Mum did all that."

Chuckling, the brunette started rummaging through the cupboards, "What do you feel like? There's not a lot here, looks like Esme needs to go grocery shopping." She abandoned the cupboards and went to the fridge, frowning slightly when nothing jumped out at her, before popping open the freezer. "I'll have to show you how to cook another time, for now….looks like we're having something frozen."

Leah hummed off-handedly because she honestly wasn't digging that idea so much, and closed the freezer from behind the brunette. Leaning down she wrapped her arms around her imprint's waist and pressed feather-light kisses down her neck, smiling softly as the brunette tilted her head to the side for better access.

"How about we just order some pizza and veg out on the couch? No dishes, no trouble, just hand out the cash and throw away the trash." Looking over her shoulder at Leah, Bella smiled and kissed her tenderly. Still no tongue.

"Sounds good."

x-o-x

"And she laughed at my joke, like seriously laughed! It sorta reminded me of a date, ya know? Except that it wasn't really a date because obviously she has a boyfriend and she's far too sweet to ever hurt someone like that and-"

"Oh for fuck sakes, Seth! Would you please just take a breather?" Leah groaned loudly and her head thumped backwards against the couch, eyes closing in frustration. _Is he ever going to stop?_

"Leah, can't you just be happy for me? I mean, I found my soul mate, my other half, the woman I could never live without!" Seth grinned unaffected by his sister's grouchy attitude. This was his time to goddamn shine. "I found my Bella!"

"I am happy for you, you know I am, but sometimes hearing about Angela gets a little annoying. It's especially annoying when you insist on retelling your entire meeting together and not just snippets of it but every little damn detail." The older werewolf rubbed her face frustratingly and rolled her eyes to her brothers, lifting her head heavily. "I'm happy for you Seth, really, but can you chill a little…please?"

Leah wanted desperately to go looking for Bella but with her mother by the brunette's side, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know what they were talking about. Even though Sue had given her a kiss on the cheek and a smile when she arrived, quite unexpectedly she'll admit, she hadn't given Leah much else and practically dragged her poor girlfriend out of the room. So obviously it was something Leah didn't have the privilege of hearing. She frowned.

_I wonder what they're talking about…_

"And her smile..." Seth eyes became unfocused as he started again.

Leah shut her eyes and groaned inwardly, _God help me._

Upstairs in the guest room Esme had allowed the two younger women to stay in, Sue sat on the chair by the desk with her legs crossed and a surprisingly blank expression on her face considering the thoughts racing through her mind. They were quite chaotic really. Bella sat Indian style on the bed she shared with the older woman's daughter, fidgeting awkwardly and tugging at the sleeves of her shirt.

Bella had no idea what Sue wanted but the silence was beginning to be a bit much. She wondered hoped even, that Leah would burst through the door, throw her over her shoulder and flee. She scoffed inwardly. _Like that's gonna happen._

"Bella, I hope you don't find what I'm about to say to be too….ignorant of me," Sue started quietly, "But I need to know what's going on with my daughter."

The younger woman furrowed her brow, "Why don't you ask her?"

"Leah has always been a very selfless person when it comes to me and my feelings and nothing will ever change that. If I asked her…I don't think she'd tell me the truth." Bella wasn't so sure. If Sue asked then the werewolf definitely wouldn't lie to her face. "So I'm asking you."

"You haven't exactly asked me anything, Sue." Bella's cheeks burned with a light blush but her lips remained pressed together in a clearly unimpressed expression. "And even if you had I'm not sure I'd be able to give you an answer."

The older woman's face crumpled and she sighed in defeat. Her shoulders slumped and her confident façade faded.

"I knew you'd say that but I suppose I hoped you'd surprise me and tell me what I wanted to know."

"I'm sorry, but if you need to know something then you should ask Leah, not me." The brunette paused for a moment. "I'm sorry Sue, really I am, but it isn't my place to speak for her."

"Did I do something to upset her? Because if I did I swear I never meant to."

"Just be patient. You didn't do anything wrong, and Leah will tell you the exact same thing if you'd just ask her." Smiling gently, Bella extracted herself from the bed. "Come on, the Cullen's are due back soon and Leah has something she wants to share with everyone."

"Oh?" Sue's interest peaked and she followed her daughter's girlfriend out the door. "What she has to say, will that give me the answers I want?"

A shrug was the only response she got, and when they did get downstairs it was only to listen in as Seth continued to talk about Angela. Sue asked questions appropriately and even Bella added her opinion when the conversation turned to Angela's relationship with her boyfriend. She didn't go into much detail though because she honestly didn't know what their relationship was based on and around. It wasn't her business to ask her friend those sorts of things; Angela was a very private person.

Leah observed her mother and her girlfriend with narrowed eyes, wondering why they seemed to be so interested in Seth's elation over his latest meeting with his imprint. They seemed genuinely happy for him, much like she was, but had they not just disappeared upstairs for some heart to fucking heart? And now nothing seemed out of the ordinary? Not likely. Something was up, and the sideway glances Sue was giving Bella just backed that up and made her even more suspicious.

Eventually the Cullen's returned and as such Esme ended up distracting Sue in the kitchen, unknowingly giving Leah the opportunity to finally get her imprint alone. The werewolf guided her over to the piano where Edward was playing a tune, unconcerned with everything and anything going on around him, hoping the music would make their conversation harder for any eavesdroppers to hear.

"Your mother's worried about you. _That_ is what she wanted to talk to me about." Bella had noticed and in fact felt her girlfriend's gaze on her all afternoon, and she knew why. She faced the uneasy werewolf, barely giving the bronze haired vampire a sideward glance as she did so. "You need to tell them now, Leah, no more stalling. If this is what you want…don't put it off any longer. Sue's convinced she's done something wrong."

"I…why didn't she come to me?"

"She thinks you'll lie to her." Edward didn't even open his eyes as he spoke, but both women noticed the music had stopped. He seemed to almost hear it the longer he allowed his eyes to stay closed. Sighing at the inevitable, he opened his eyes and smiled sadly. "Bella is correct, regardless. You need to come clean with everybody…Esme and your mother especially."

Leah's face paled and she swallowed thickly as the nervousness rose within her, "Is it that bad, Edward?" He hesitated but nodded anyways.

"I'm afraid so." Looking off toward the kitchen where he could hear Esme and Sue cooking the humans' dinner, his eyes dulled in sadness. "She's become quite…accustomed to having you both here."

Suffice to say dinner that evening was awkward; cut, lift, chew, glance at someone, state something mundane and obvious, and repeat the process. Even Seth had quietened down about Angela. When the dishes had been washed and cleared it took nothing more than an 'I think we all need to talk' from the female werewolf for the kitchen to clear out almost completely. Seth slowly made an exit and left Esme, Sue and the two younger women standing awkwardly against the counters facing each other.

"What's this about, dear?" Esme braved the question but didn't know who to look to for the answer, Bella or Leah. She settled for the werewolf. "Leah?"

"I've been thinking about it for awhile now and I know you've both probably been worrying about it, so I should probably grow some balls and tell you." Leah paused as she felt her girlfriend's hand slip into her own for support. "I'm not going back to La Push."

"You aren't coming home?" Sue's face was flushed with hurt as she stared at her daughter across the room.

Esme glanced nervously at the two Quileute women as she anticipated the direction this conversation was going and wished Carlisle wasn't at work so that he could dispel any arguments that were bound to arise. She could do it herself obviously, but interfering with personal things such as this made her awfully uncomfortable.

"I just can't go back, mum. It has nothing to do with you or Seth...it has to do with Harry and Billy and the pack." She refused to acknowledge _him _as her father. Sighing, Leah pulled her hand from Bella's and rubbed her face. "I mean it's about time I moved out, I'm twenty-five."

"You're also in a relationship with an underage girl, but that doesn't seem to stop you from seeing her, does it?" It was clear to everyone that Sue was beginning to get desperate with her biting comment. Just as Leah was about to respond though, Bella cut in.

"I'm eighteen." Bella spoke up, "And what Leah does with me has nothing to do with what she's telling you right now." Sue met her gaze unwavering, "Do you even know what you're asking her to do by moving back?"

"I know that it's difficult bu-"

"No, you don't have any idea how difficult this is for either of us!" Bella snapped angrily, "You're only thinking of yourself! You weren't beaten half to death, and you certainly weren't goddamn raped!" Sue's eyes widened. "You can't just expect us to build a fucking bridge, Sue, it isn't that easy."

Nobody said anything for a long while but their eyes spoke volumes. Leah's spoke of the pain she felt for both herself and her imprint at the memories those words brought forth and the indecision that swarmed within her. She wanted to calm her girlfriend but she also wanted to get everything out in the open for her mother and Esme's sake, she was just unsure now of how Bella would take it.

Bella's eyes were narrowed. Her glare wasn't directed at Sue anymore but rather the floor as she allowed herself to stew in her own anger. It was unfair for Sue to have said those things. She wasn't there and she didn't suffer the way Leah and herself had.

Esme wasn't sure what to say. Part of her wanted to reach out and sooth Sue, who in her opinion was looking absolutely horrified, but the other part agreed with what Bella pointed out; what Sue was asking was very farfetched and unfair. The vampire couldn't blame Sue though because she was sure she'd feel the same. When Rosalie joined the family she was lucky enough to be able to comfort her because she was the only other female in the Cullen family at the time, but Bella and Leah's situation was entirely different. The most obvious difference was that Leah hadn't been the one taken advantage of, Bella had, so it should've been Renee wanting to comfort her daughter the way Sue wanted to.

Esme's heart seemed to break a little bit more as she realised just how hard this was for Bella. She may have looked like a strong young woman but deep down she was just a scared little girl who Esme knew needed her mother, something that she couldn't have given the supernatural reasons behind her rape. Even if she decided to go live with Renee, it wouldn't be the same because she could never tell her what happened without being admitted into a mental hospital.

Esme glided slowly over to the werewolf and her imprint, a sad glint in her eyes as she did so.

"How about we give Leah and Sue a moment alone to talk, Bella." The motherly vampire watched the werewolf for any sign of displeasure at her suggestion, but continued forward when she was given a relieved nod. Bella allowed Esme to guide her from the room without a word spoken between any of the four women.

Sue watched them leave with regret filled eyes and waited until they were out of sight before giving her attention to her daughter.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you both, I didn't mean to be so….insensitive about things." Sue murmured quietly, tugging at her pony tail for a few seconds before latching onto the counter behind her. "I shouldn't have said what I said. Bella's your imprint, not some fling that means nothing to you. I just…..I can't understand why you want to cut me out of your life."

"I don't want that, mum! I could never do that to either of us….but I can't go back there, not after everything they've done." Both knew who _they_ were. "I can't go back there knowing how lightly Jacob got off-"

"His punishment isn't fully decided yet."

Leah sighed, "You think Billy and Harry will let Jacob get dealt with as severely as he deserves? Embry and Paul didn't even get house arrest and they helped that sick prick." The werewolf's blood boiled slightly at that alone. "You can't expect me to go back and _speak _with them after what they allowed to happen. You can't expect me to face Jacob without wanting to fucking claw his face off, because I promise you….if I see any of those three again, I will do far worse to them. I will end their miserable little lives."

Upstairs in Carlisle's office where Esme had led the silent brunette, both women listened to nothing but their own thoughts. Sometimes Esme wondered why she never sat with her husband in here more often; the silence that came with the sound proof walls was a great relief from the hectic supersensitive hearing she had.

Fixing Bella a small serving of scotch whisky, Esme popped a cube of ice into it and cautiously made her way to sit beside her on the leather couch by the wall. The brunette eyed the offered glass in confusion, looking up into the honey coloured eyes as she took the glass into her own grasp.

"What's this for?" She asked softly.

Esme smiled a gentle smile, "One glass won't hurt I'm sure. It's not like Carlisle or I can drink it." She laughed lightly and sat back against the leather, crossing her legs. "In fact I never understood why he continues to collect bottle upon bottle of alcoholic beverages. He has quite the collection from numerous countries in the basement; it's very impressive I'll admit."

Esme made sure not to watch as she sipped from the small glass knowing that human's found it uncomfortable.

"It's nice. Strong." Bella rested it against her thigh, "Did Carlisle do it as a human? Collect different wines and stuff, I mean."

"No, but his father had quite the collection I hear. It was something he admired in the man, I suppose." She shrugged and adjusted herself to face the younger woman. "I didn't particularly like alcohol as a human though, I'm afraid. My husband at the time abused the substance far too much for my liking and in return….well I'm sure you don't need to hear that." She waved her hand but Bella was in no rush to start talking about what she had said downstairs.

"Can you tell me about your life as a human, or is that too personal to share?" She took another sip.

"I don't mind at all….but perhaps another time would be best. It's a long story and it isn't a very nice one either." The vampire slowly covered Bella's shaking hand with her own, realising with great sadness that the human didn't even know she was shaking. "Besides you don't really want to hear my story right now."

Brown eyes cast downwards and her breath came out shallow and pained, "No not really. I'm sorry."

"You needn't apologise, sweetheart." Esme took the glass from her hand and placed it somewhere behind her, shuffling closer to the young woman. "If you need to talk, I'm right here and I promise I will listen to everything you have to say." Cool hands rested on either side of her warm face, eyes caring and expression honest. "You aren't alone, Bella. If all you want me to do is hold you, I will."

The vampire watched as tears filled the sweet woman's eyes and slowly spilt over, falling down her face in a way that had the vampire wishing she too could cry for the young brunette. Esme didn't think twice as Bella launched herself into her cool body and quickly circled her arms around her trembling frame, holding her close as she cried into her shoulder.

The vampire's eyes stung with venom and she couldn't bear to keep them open any longer, the sight and sounds far too heartbreaking. _Oh sweetheart….._

x-o-x

Billy Black sat in his wheel chair in the living room of the house he had once shared with his dear wife, staring at the picture on the mantle of he and Sarah. With the use of his legs back then, he had been holding her in his arms and smiling as they stared into each other's eyes when the photo was taken. He wasn't sure who had taken it, only that it was one of their daughters, Rebecca most likely. She'd always been fond of taking pictures.

Abruptly Billy turned his chair away from the picture and the memories they triggered, chest constricting as he looked down the hall to where he knew his son was pacing in his room.

_I failed you, Sarah. _And he did. Billy couldn't understand how he had fucked up so badly with raising Jacob but he had, and horribly so. He'd never admit it to anyone but he was a piss poor excuse for a father and a council elder. Leah was one of their own and as he thought back on how he'd handled her imprinting on Bella, who was dating his son at the time, he knew he was being utterly selfish.

"I mightn't like the idea of two women loving each other, but that's no excuse for what took place….for what I've done." Billy whispered the words to himself and his hands gripped the arm rests on his wheelchair. "My actions led to this…."

Jacob, the son that he loved with every bone in his body, had brutally taken advantage of those their tribe was supposed to protect and in the end it'd been the leeches who offered them protection. Offered one of their own, an enemy and werewolf, their protection.

It was with great reluctance that Billy rolled himself through his house where he proceeded to knock at his son's door. The door swung open and the older Quileute had to swallow back the overwhelming concern that rose within him at the sight of his son.

He'd never seen Jacob look so….wild, there honestly was no other way to describe the way he looked. His jeans were crumpled and hanging low on his waist, his chest bare and his muscles unnaturally enlarged at the fury that pumped them up. His face was locked in a glare so hideous it had Billy wheeling back a little in surprise, jaw tense and teeth gritted as he looked down at his father in contempt.

"What?" Jacob snarled sharply, crushing the doorknob in his grasp.

_Where did I go wrong?_

Billy breathed deeply in through his nose, "Did you rape her? I need to hear you say it, Jacob." Hesitantly he looked up into his son's set eyes, seeing no remorse whatsoever. "I'm trying to be a good father….I've done everything I can for your happiness, and lost my tribe's respect in doing so…..so please, don't lie to me."

Billy wasn't trying to condone what he'd done, no he knew he had acted wrongly about _everything_ but he had done it for his wife, because she'd loved her children unconditionally and if she couldn't look out for them, then he would go out of his way to do it for her. But Billy needed to hear it from Jacob, not from Seth or Sam or anybody else.

"She's mine, I didn't rape her." Jacob crossed his arms and was completely oblivious to the way the hope drained from his father's eyes. "I was showing her just what she was giving up. Leah ruined her and I was trying to correct her."

"I may not agree with a relationship between two men or two women….but son, you can't correct them. It doesn't work that way." He reasoned.

"Bella is rightfully mine and maybe if you'd tried harder, she'd be with me right now!" Jacob took a threatening step forward. "But you didn't, did you? And so now I'm stuck in this fucking house being punished for dispelling a sinful abomination while my girlfriend is licking some slut's pussy!"

The vile words made Billy shut his eyes to force away the images they created and though he agreed with the bible's view on homosexuality, he didn't agree with his son's way of showing his loyalty to the lord.

"You will not say such things in my house, is that understood? I did everything in my power to help you but you fucked up, Jacob, and I can't fix that." Both men refused to break eye contact and admit defeat. "You're mother would be unbelievably disappointed in what we've both done, but you're my son and I promised Sarah the day she died, that I would never turn my back on our children." The older man's hand clenched and shook at the emotions plaguing him. "I love you regardless of what you've done, and I will stand by you even if it means losing everything else in my life."

It broke Billy's heart to hear his son scoff at the words. The glare was unwavering on his face, the vein in his neck throbbing and his hands shaking, all the while Billy tried to contain his sorrow and remorse.

"I don't need you, so don't feel obligated to see out the promise you made to your dying wife."

Jacob slammed the door on his father's love, unconcerned with anything the pathetic man had to say. He'd failed Jacob as far as the young man was concerned the moment he allowed his power of Alpha to be violently ripped from him and given to someone well below him.

_They can't control me forever. _Jacob looked out the window and no matter how badly he craved to crash through the flimsy glass and stake his claim on Bella in front of Leah once more; he knew he'd have to wait. The time would come but with Sam's, his _alpha's, _orders ringing strong through his head, he physically couldn't. He growled.

"They'll regret ever crossing me, Leah especially." He vowed into the silence of his room, a taunting smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. _Oh yes, this isn't over….not by a long fucking shot._

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_No I'm not going to make Billy the good guy, he's still going to be an arrogant arse, so don't fret. Any questions I'm happy to answer them so long as you have an account and I actually can reply :)_

_Leave me your thoughts!  
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	12. Chapter 12

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART TWELVE  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Have you ever been in one of those situations where the silence is just too much to handle? What about wanting to flee only to find that the door is being blocked by the huge fucking pink elephant of awkward silences, and your father? Yeah well that's how Bella felt only hours after arriving home on Monday afternoon, the day after she and Leah announced they wouldn't be staying with the Cullen's any longer.

Bella felt like slapping herself repeatedly as she thought back to how Esme had reacted to the news; the absolute heartbreak on her face like she'd just been told one of her own children had been found mauled in the forest. The brunette felt horrible just blurting it out to her after her little breakdown, which actually wasn't so little since it took her almost an hour to stop crying, but what could she do? Esme deserved to know that neither Leah nor Bella would be staying with them any longer no matter how grateful they were to the family.

Sue and Seth had brought Leah's things over in the truck from La Push the following morning, quite reluctantly that is, and after Leah was settled into the motel, in other words once her clothes and the few possession she had were put away, Sue dropped Bella off at her house where she came face to face with a clearly unimpressed Charlie. She had to give him some credit though; it had taken a few hours for him to come knocking at her bedroom door for answers.

So now they stood across from each other, or at least Charlie did, Bella was sitting awkwardly on the edge of her bed and staring at her hands and wishing to be anywhere but having this conversation with her father, but Charlie wasn't showing any sign of leaving as far as the brunette could tell from his position leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So how about an explanation young lady?" Bella looked up slowly and she could just tell it wasn't a question. She sighed and looked back down at her hands nervously.

"I thought Sue called you?"

"She did and so did Seth, but that's not the point. Start the explanation, Bella. I don't have all evening; I start afternoon/nightshift in an hour." There was no way he was going to just walk out the door with a 'see you later' and forget about it. No, Bella had ran off to the Clearwater's and then she didn't even have the decency to call him herself, she had someone else do it for her. "I'm not happy about that little stunt you pulled, Bella, and neither is your mother. I tried calling Harry to get him to send you home but the Clearwater's weren't answering their phone, and then Renee told me to just let you have your space and deal with it when you did come home, so I forced myself not to go down there and drag you back myself. So an explanation from _you_ would be nice."

The whole Harry issue, Bella thought, was probably due to the fact that he was still trying to get his fat fucking head around the fact that his family had left him. When Sue came back with Leah's belongings she came back with news that Harry had been staying in the Black's shed on a couch among the car husks and useless engine parts Jacob had lying around. Apparently the Clearwater's house had been empty since the incident because Sue and Seth had been staying at Sam's, and Harry at Billy's. Bella wasn't about to tell Charlie that, though. No freaking way.

"Jacob and I broke up, okay? I needed somebody who understood what I was going through, and Leah was there. Is this really necessary, Charlie?" Bella just wanted him to leave her alone if nothing else. She didn't want to talk about it. "I'm sure Sue told you this."

"It's necessary when you miss so many days of school, yes. I thought everything was going great with you guys, what changed?" He uncrossed his arms and rubbed his face tiredly when it was obvious his daughter wasn't going to answer. _Where's Renee when you need her? _"Bella, I can't have you missing school and running off over to the Reservation over boyfriend issues. Did he break up with you?"

"No, I did." She whispered. "Can you just drop it, please?"

The pain in his little girl's eyes was so intense that Charlie's tough posture faltered and his expression fell, brows furrowing in worry. "Then why are you upset? You broke it off with him-"

"Charlie, I don't want to talk about it!" She hissed, tearing her tearful gaze from her father and jumping to her feet. She snatched her truck keys from the dresser and stopped directly in front of the clearly concerned man. She grasped the keys tightly in her hand and looked at the ground at their feet, not wanting to meet his gaze. "Move out of my way...please."

"Bells-"

"Don't." Her head snapped up this time in anger. Charlie was baffled at the sudden change. "He hurt me and I don't want to talk about him. So when you come home tomorrow from work, don't bring it up. Now would you please get out of my way? I need some fresh air."

Without a word of protest he turned his body to the side so that his daughter could shuffle through her bedroom doorway, speechless as he watched her head straight for the stairs. _Did...did she just yell at me?_

"Where are you going?" He managed to clear his mind enough to ask and followed a safe distance down the stairs. He really needed to speak with Renee, ask for help, anything.

"To see Leah."

Snatching her jacket up on her way to the door, she slammed it behind her and made for the red rust bucket that she'd driven to La Push time and time again. Today though she was heading in the complete opposite direction and she wasn't going to drive those roads to the Reservation for a very long time, if at all.

The ride was spent in silence and the time alone gave her enough strength to calm her anger and gain control over the feelings her father's obliviousness had caused. She wouldn't upset Leah with father problems, she didn't need those; she had far worse issues to deal with.

She pulled up at the motel and walked at a steady pace toward her girlfriend's room at the far end, knocking quietly once she got there and shuffling in the cool breeze, cursing her girlfriend in her head to move her arse and answer the door.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you again today." The werewolf knew who was at the door before she opened it and so quickly stepped aside to let the brunette in, kissing her chastely on the lips as she passed. She locked the door behind her, "What's wr-"

Leah turned around but was cut off by warm lips on her own, quite roughly she'll admit. Hands worked their way into her silky black hair as she kissed Bella back, eyes closing as her own arms wound around the petite body, pressing their bodies together lovingly.

"I missed you." Bella murmured against her lips, smiling slightly as she allowed any and all worries concerning her father to leave her completely. Moving her hands through the werewolf's hair she just _had_ to lean in and press a kiss just below her lips. "And Charlie was pissing me off, but I don't really want to talk about that." She took a step back. "So I see you went grocery shopping...even if it is canned food."

Bella glanced at the dozen or so cans stacked on the small wooden table by the window, raising an eyebrow as she went over to investigate them, picking them up one at a time and reading the labels. She chuckled.

"Hey, don't laugh at me. I've only got a damn microwave and fridge in here." Leah grinned, taking the can from her girlfriend's hand and putting it back on the table. She went over to the small fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, shrugging at the raised eyebrow she got in return. "What? I'm not gonna tell your dad if you have a few."

"A few? How many can you actually fit in there?" Twisting the cap off Bella took a sip and quickly scrunched her nose up at the bitter flavour. _Argh...gross. _She raised her eyes to her wolf's, "You need room for other stuff too, don't forget that."

"I know. That's why I only put a six pack in there. I even have milk in there, aren't you proud?" Leah took a swig from her own bottle and motioned to the bed, "So...want to watch some TV? Maybe we'll catch a movie or something if we're lucky. Doubt it though."

The brunette looked at the dishevelled sheets and smiled fondly at the werewolf as she settled under the blanket, dressed in a pair boxers and a loose fitting top. She managed to get a glimpse of what was on the silk bottoms and grinned. _'Spank the Monkey' _was written across it, followed by a cartoon of a boy spanking a monkey."It looks like you've been doing that all afternoon, anyways, so why not."

Bella took a sip of her beer, ignoring the bitter taste, before placing it on the floor beside the bed. She slipped her shoes and jacket off, crawling under the blanket and snuggling up to the warm body already settled.

"Nice boxers by the way."

Leah let out a groan that Bella couldn't really identify as anything other than disgruntlement, but despite that her arms automatically wound around the brunette and pulled their body's together closer.

Always close.

Always together.

"Seth bought them for me. At the time I suppose he thought they were appropriate. He got a good fucking laugh out of it too." Leah couldn't deny the smile that wanted to tug at her lips when Bella giggled into her collarbone, so she didn't. "Yeah you laugh now but you wouldn't be laughing if you knew _exactly _what my fantasies involved, you'd be blushing like a mad woman."

Leah was twenty five and though things had been rough when her imprint had been with Jacob, there were still times when her brother could cheer her up. Giving her the boxers on account of all the...self love she was participating in was definitely one such time.

"Oh, really? Try me." Bella tried to keep her expression serious and the laugh from her voice, but in the end it proved impossible. She rolled in closer to her girlfriend to her own surprise because she honestly didn't think they could get any closer, and tried to muffle her laughs against her. "I'm sorry!"

"No you aren't." The werewolf scoffed and laughed herself. She placed an affectionate kiss on top of the brunette's head, amazed that this woman in her arms was now truly and honestly hers to love and cherish. "You don't have to worry yet. When I decide to seduce you I'll tell you ALL about each and every one, because baby, you won't be able to resist me when I do."

Bella scoffed, all the while with a smile on her face as she sobered from her little giggle fit. "You seem awfully sure of yourself there, Romeo." Taking the pale hand within her own tanned one, Leah entwined them over her stomach. Bella's smile turned impish, "Watch it wolf, you might scorch me with your touch, and not in the literal sense."

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." Leah teased and barely kept the laugh from her voice as she lowered her voice to make herself sound more masculine.

Bella catching on pretended to swoon, even going as far as to face her and flutter her lashes, "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this." She squeezed her girlfriend's hand and giggled, "Oh my god, I can't believe we just did that."

Leah guffawed, stroking her girlfriend's hand agreeably and shook her head, "Yeah, me neither."

x-o-x

"Jacob Black, today we gather to deal you your punishment as we your elder's, see fit. We've discussed this at great length and have finally come to a decision."

The Black's yard was once again being used as a meeting place, and the bonfire roared for what would be the last time in Jacob and Billy's presence. Sue stood strong beside Seth, Sam and Emily, Quil off to their left where he stood with Jared, his head lowered in both shame and sadness. Quil had been shunned for his part in tormenting Leah by many, but what made it a thousand times worse was that his own father was included in that statistic and had in fact, made him feel even worse.

Paul and Embry stood by Harry Clearwater's side where he stood close to Billy, both elder's watching with clenched jaws as Quil Senior spoke directly to Jacob who was knelt before them with Alpha's orders.

The sight was definitely something to see, that was for sure. Jacob wasn't only being spoken down upon in the literal sense, he was also being spoken down upon physically, something that the Quileute male found absolutely degrading. If looks could kill Old Quil would've been six feet under the moment Jacob was escorted outside.

Jacob was ordered not to phase and as such his body shook with so much spine tingling, teeth clenching fury that he could barely stand it.

"Jacob Black you have disgraced our tribe and our people. You have abused your power as Alpha. There is no doubt in our minds that you are guilty of not only raping Isabella Swan, but also beating Leah Clearwater into submission with the intention of raping her also. What you've done is unforgivable." Old Quil was smoking yet another cigarette, exactly like last time. "Have you anything to say for yourself before punishment is dealt?"

Jacob chuckled and slowly dragged his angered glare over each individual that dared to look down on him.

"Fuck you all."

Old Quil shook his head in disappointment, puffing on his smoke in a way that made Billy think he could care less about what they were about to do.

"Is that all?" Jacob narrowed his eyes and grinned, spitting at his elder's feet. Old Quil sighed, "Very well then. Sam, if you will?"

Sam stepped forward after giving his wife a kiss on the cheek, expression neutral as he came to stand above and before his former Alpha.

"Jacob Black you are hereby banished from La Push and Washington State. You will be escorted to Seattle airport by Quil, Jared, Seth and myself and sent directly to Texas. If you are to break our ruling, the pack has been ordered to slaughter you at will. Billy will be accompanying you as he did not agree with what the council decided." Sam spoke in determination.

"I don't want that rat old bastard with me, you can keep him. He's no better than that fucking dyke!" Jacob struggled against his mental bindings, wanting nothing more than to claw Sam's smug fucking eyes from his head. _Stupid fucking bastard!_

"Shut your mouth and keep it shut." Sam ordered sternly. He stood straighter and shoved his hands into his pockets to stop himself from lashing out. "Come tonight you will have your belongings packed and we will leave for Seattle and your flight early tomorrow morning. You are not to leave your house until I come to collect you."

Harry made a show of crossing his arms and huffing, muttering as he did so, "Utter bullshit..."

Nobody took any notice, not even Billy.

"Furthermore, your tattoo will need to be destroyed as we will not tolerate such a barbarian wearing a tattoo symbolic of our people." Sam stepped up to the flames and pulled a squared branding iron from within, ignoring the pain of the sizzling on his palm, wincing as he looked at the glowing end that had been buried in the hot ashes beneath. He looked down at Jacob with unapologetic eyes, "Sit still."

Jacob's eyes widened and he began to struggle regardless of knowing it was useless.

The moment Sam pressed the glowing end directly onto his former Alpha's bicep where his tattoo was embedded, the smell of Jacob's burning flesh polluted the air and merged with the minor stench coming from the singe on Sam's palm where he held the rod.

Rueful moans resounded around the circle of people, all Jacob's, and Billy forced himself to look away, shutting his eyes and covering his nose as his son trembled and burned. An agonising two minutes later Sam pulled the rod off, throwing it back into the flames to allow a start on his own healing, knowing the trivial burn would be completely gone in a few days at most.

"Take him inside. Make sure he's packed and ready for my arrival later tonight." Sam ordered Paul and Embry, speaking about Jacob. He glanced down at his former Alpha with undisguised hatred. "Say goodbye to your childhood home, Jacob, because you won't see it again in your lifetime."

The group dispersed quickly after that and when Sue voiced her wish to speak with Harry before she left, Seth was adamant he stay by her side but was distinctly annoyed when his mother told him otherwise. Sam and Emily retired back to their house after having warned Seth to keep his distance, and it was with a growl that the youngest wolf went back to the truck to watch from a_ distance _as his mother and father spoke.

Both stood a length from each other by the bonfire and waited almost an hour, in which Paul and Embry left with awkward glances at the couple, before finally breaking their silence, Sue very much aware of her son's protective gaze burning into the side of her head.

"Have you been home, yet?" Sue's expression was one Harry wasn't used to; defiant, strong...firm.

"No, I've been staying with Billy. You know that." Harry pulled his cap off and ran a hand through his hair before slipping it back on. "And you've been staying with Sam and Emily, so I hear."

Sue didn't want to make small talk with her husband and glanced at her son worriedly, noticing the rigidness of his stance. Seth wasn't impressed, she knew this, but this was between her and Harry only so she could only pray he'd stay put.

She looked back to the man she had married all those years ago and steeled herself for what she was about to say.

"I want a divorce, Harry." Other than a strained cough Harry didn't react to the words because honestly, he had expected them, so his wife continued. "And I want the house."

Harry refused to say anything and simply nodded with a scowl on his face as was the new style for him these days. Giving his wife the house wasn't a problem. Billy had given him the deed to the Black house earlier that day, not wanting to have strangers move into the same house he'd shared with his wife, so really why would he need anything else?

"Is that all you want?"

"I don't need your money if that's what you're suggesting." Sue watched him contemplatively for what felt like hours but in reality was only seconds, and after she noticed he wasn't about to respond, she sighed and gave a thoughtful nod. It wasn't so much for Harry but herself really, allowing the words they had just spoken to sink in. "Well...that's all I wanted to say."

"Well alright then. Drive safe." In other words, piss off. "I'll speak to my lawyer tomorrow."

Seth couldn't hear what his parents were saying but it had to be serious given the circumstances. He knew the inevitable would happen as his mother had long since removed the band that tied her to his father, but still Seth knew she was hurting more than she led on. He hated seeing her so upset and not being able to do anything about it.

Sue's expression was sombre as she approached her son and at his perturbed silence, she forced her mouth to resemble something akin to a small smile.

"Mum?"

Sue took a shaky breath and shook her head, climbing in the driver's side as Seth silently hopped in beside her, watching her the entire time as though he expected her to break down into tears, which she knew was entirely possible. It was easy to say to someone that you should despise this person or that person because of something horrible that they'd participated in, but when it was the children saying those things about their father to their mother...it wasn't as easy as everybody assumed.

Sue's relationship with Harry was over despite the love she still had for him from all those years ago, not the person he'd become. It just wasn't enough.

"Call Leah and let her know what's going on, will you?"

Seth didn't dial her number until they were well on their way down the driveway and it became apparent that his mother didn't wish to talk about whatever had just taken place.

x-o-x

Leah and Bella had just finished watching some documentary on world famous cheeses and drinking their second beer when the werewolf got the call from her brother. Neither was satisfied with hearing the council's ruling.

The brunette stayed with Leah for only another hour in relative silence and barely any words spoken between them before both decided they were in need of some alone time. It was pretty well dark at this point but when Leah offered to take her home and run back to the motel, the brunette had shook her head and gave her a flat out no.

"Alright, just text me when you get home." A kiss to the cheek and Leah was opening the truck's door for her. Her smile was strained from what her brother had told her earlier but she refused to let that get between her and her imprint. "I love you. Drive carefully, please."

"I love you too, and I will." Leaning into the warm body, Bella made sure that her embrace was sincere enough to calm her girlfriend even the slightest bit, knowing that tonight would not be an easy one. This was the first night they'd spend sleeping alone. Add to that the news they were just given and you've got a pretty well restless night. "Try and get some sleep."

Bella didn't expect Charlie to be home when she pulled up so it was no surprise that the cruiser was gone when she did and the house bathed in darkness other than the front porch. Not bothering with the lights in the entrance, she hung her coat up and slipped her shoes off and headed straight into the kitchen, flicking on the light as she did so.

And there on the table was a small sticky note, Charlie's rushed writing scribbled across it.

_Bought you a burger from the diner and left it in the fridge for dinner. Take it as a peace offering. I'm sorry._

Opening the fridge the brunette grabbed the altogether sloppy looking burger and placed it in the microwave, texting Leah that she was home quickly as she went about the chore. She went to grab a can of soda only to change her mind last minute and snatch up a can of Charlie's beer, hesitating when it came to the act of actually opening the can. She wasn't all that fond of the taste but she couldn't deny that it helped her unwind and relax; whether or not it was a placebo type effect she wasn't entirely sure.

_One more won't hurt...right?_

The microwave dinged at the exact moment she opened the can and brought it to her lips, swallowing a large mouthful of the bitter liquid with hardly a flinch this time round. Her phone vibrated with a new text in her pocket, probably from Leah, but it went unnoticed as she collected her burger and beer and made for her room.

She'd read it later. Now, she just wanted to eat and unwind.

_XxXxXxXxXx_

_If you have the time I'd love for you to drop me a review and let me know your thoughts on my story. Thanks to everyone who does :) Other then that, I have nothing else to say. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!_


	13. Chapter 13

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART THIRTEEN**

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ - Hey guys, so I'm going to be changing my penname from Salander-Wu18 to Apocalyptic-Wasp within the week. I just feel like it's time to change, and my identity has been threatened by my own sister, so I'd rather be safe and have her not find out what type of stories I write :)**

**Also, my exams start on August 1st and go until the 9th, and I haven't studied as of yet so I'm not sure whether the next chapter will be out before the 9th. Maybe if you leave me your thoughts in a review, I'll try harder to write inbetween periods of study and shit, and who knows, maybe the chapter will come out quicker than I've said. **

**Thanks to everyone who _has_ reviewed, you guys inspire me to keep writing :) Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Bella hated school, she wasn't even inside the damn building yet and she was wishing she didn't have to be here leaning against the front of her truck with her hands in her pockets and her head down waiting for the freaking bell to go. The sky was overcast and it wasn't raining thankfully, but that didn't mean it was warm because it bloody well wasn't.

Looking around the quickly filling parking lot, Bella grumbled to herself at the lack of flashy cars that would indicate the Cullen's calming presence. She knew it was stupid to be craving their company, but standing by herself in a lot full of people _beside_ her massive truck made her feel insignificant.

"Hey you, long time no see." Bella jumped, like seriously jumped as Angela appeared beside her quite suddenly. Or maybe she hadn't and Bella was so completely lost in her own little world that she just didn't notice. Either way Angela noticed and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Maybe if I were paying better attention you wouldn't have." Bella joked quietly, shaking her head. "But yeah, long time no see. I suppose, though, that's my fault."

The other teenager shrugged, not denying it and not agreeing, but motioning as if to say 'what can ya do?'. She reclined beside her friend on the truck, crossing her arms to keep herself warm, burrowing deeper into her jacket.

"I understand you needed some time, I mean I was a little upset that you didn't come to me, but I understand." Smiling softly Angela looped their arms together and nestled in closer to the brunette, for warmth and to reassure her she was fine with everything. "I'm just glad you're back. I was worried Jessica would start to get violent with me for withholding what I knew. Honestly, I'm surprised Ben is keeping her back right now."

Bella chuckled and this time it was her turn to give her an apologetic smile. "Sorry." Her smile faltered and she glanced over to what her friend had been speaking of, to where Jessica was arguing with Ben to get out of the way. "You didn't tell her anything, right?"

"I wouldn't do that." She shook her head, not in the least offended. "I didn't even tell Ben."

"Thank you." She murmured as a light smile touched her lips. Angela truly was one of the most loyal and sincerest people out there. Angela could even tell that she didn't wish to speak about why she had been away without having been told verbally by the brunette.

They stood in each other's presence in silence for what seemed like a long while, Bella watching in amusement as Jessica threw her hands up in frustration and eventually gave up against Ben, skulking over to Mike's side to whine in his ear. The brunette could just imagine what she was saying and if Mike's expression was anything to go by, it wasn't very interesting or worthwhile. Ben looked over then, his thick dark hair tamed only by the grey beanie on his head, his eyes kind as he gave Bella a grin and the thumbs up.

Bella mouthed the words _thank you,_ and was relieved to see him nod and turn back to talk with their friends, giving Bella and Angela more time to talk. If Bella was being truthful, Angela's situation upset her because in the end the pull of the imprint would become unbearable and poor Ben would be unimaginably hurt when Angela couldn't deny it any longer. Apart from Angela he was one of the kindest and most genuine guys she knew and he didn't deserve to be hurt like she knew he would be in a matter of weeks.

Glancing over to see Angela watching the scene also, it didn't escape Bella's notice that her friend's posture was slackened and her eyes stricken, and Bella just _knew _that she was thinking of Seth and the confusing and all-consuming feelings she had for him.

"So, Seth seems to have taken a liking to you." Bella couldn't believe she'd let the words slip out. _Think before you speak! Not the other way around!_

However the moment she saw a soft smile grace her friend's lips, she could only just keep her sigh of relief in. Obviously she was lucky in not offending Angela or upsetting her this time.

"Yeah? I like him too, he's a sweet kid." She murmured distractedly.

"No, he's a handsome _young man_." Bella corrected again without much thought. She rolled her eyes at herself and was glad Angela wasn't looking at her.

"Sounds like you have a crush, Bella." Fiddling with the strap of her bag, Angela's unfocused eyes were staring off into the forest thoughtfully. "He's a bit young for you, don't you think?" She untangled their arms and settled back beside Bella, trying to cross her arms casually but instead it came out defensively.

A chuckle left the brunette, "Sounds like you're jealous, Ang." She teased, continuing quickly before she could get the wrong impression. "You don't have anything to worry about, I don't like Seth like that." The thought alone made her face turn up. Gross. "I'm officially turned off by Quileute testosterone."

"I'm not jealous, Bella. I have no reason to be, I have a boyfriend who loves me and who I love." Clearing her throat, Angela looked away from the forest and instead allowed her gaze to rest on her boyfriend across the lot. "I love Ben."

"You can't tell me you don't feel something for Seth, Angela." She argued gently, almost apologetically, "I know you do."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to act upon it, Bella. I may have a little _crush_ on Seth, but I _love_ Ben."

Angela was a quiet person by nature but as the bell went and their lessons began, she was even quieter than usual as the morning wore on. During class she kept her head down and her mind focused on the work, and though it looked convincing Bella knew otherwise. She knew where her friend's head was at; a place where she had been once and found not at all enjoyable. Even when lunch came around and her tentative friend was talking and laughing again with their friends, snuggling into her boyfriend's arms, it was clear that she was still distracted from their conversation earlier.

When Angela addressed her personally from her place sitting beside her, mouth close to her ear as she pulled away from Ben's arms to whisper into Bella's ear, the brunette immediately grew puzzled.

"Edward Cullen is staring at us...it's kind of intense, and creepy." Bella immediately glanced over, though subtly without moving her head, and was surprised to see him still watching their group even after having been found out. And Angela was right; his stare was so intense it was scary. "He looks lost in thought or something, don't you think?"

"Definitely lost in thought." _Otherwise he would've looked away the moment he heard you say his name, _she finished silently in her thoughts. She cleared her throat and looked back to her lunch as she started to pick at it. _Edward! Staring much?_

Angela settled back into Ben's side and took a sip from the bottle of water she'd bought, "Thank goodness he's stopped looking over here, it was beginning to creep me out a little."

Ben who had been speaking with Eric and Mike about some new video game they'd all bought, looked over to the two girls beside him and cocked an eyebrow, not that either could see it because of his fringe, Bella just recognised the curious expression enough to know that a cocking of the eyebrow went along with it.

"What are you girls talking about?" Stealing a chip off his girlfriend's plate, he grinned at the playful slap he got in return, munching on it unaffected. Angela nodded over at the Cullen's table.

"Edward Cullen was watching us."

"Us, as in just us, or us, as in the entire table?" Ben looked over at their table and his eyes lingered on the occupants for a few second longer than necessary, before shrugging and giving his attention to the two girls. "He's not looking now, so I guess his curiosity has been fulfilled."

Soon enough Ben was chatting away with the boys again and when Angela realised he was sufficiently distracted she just turned to Bella and rolled her eyes, all the while smiling and mouthing 'boys'. Bella grinned and took a bite of her sandwich, forcing herself to chew and swallow the bland meat as quickly as she could.

"I don't know how you eat those sandwiches. You should just get fries or something." Angela commented with a look of distaste as she eyed the dry beverage. She shook her head and offered her a chip, shrugging when the brunette waved them off. "Suit yourself, but you're missing out."

"No way, I completely agree with Bella's protest against the cafeteria's selling of fat. We should, like, hold a rally or something!" Jessica piped up from across the table where she sat picking at her own fries, a frown on her face. "Like, I can't believe I've been eating this shit most of my school life."

"Who said I was protesting the food?"

Jessica, completely ignoring Bella's question, pushed her plate away from her and over to the boy's, sneering at the grotesque sight of them devouring the greasy things without conscious thought as they yapped each other's ears off.

"So, where've you been the last few weeks? You know, the Cullen's were away the same days as you. People have been saying you and Edward are dating, which is, like, absolutely ridiculous since you're dating that hottie on the Rez, but then again..."

Bella wasn't ashamed to admit she kind of tuned Jessica's incessant babbling out after awhile and didn't even bother in showing the slightest attention. It was only when she noticed the entire table bathed with a silence that was so unnerving that even she was affected, did she slowly raise her eyes. Everyone was looking directly above her head and it was then that she felt the chilling presence of one of the Cullen's behind her.

_Please don't be Edward, it'll just fuel Jessica's rumours. _Turning slowly, she looked at the immortal standing behind her and nearly yelped at the glare Rosalie Hale was gracing her friend's with. Actually she wasn't sure it was a glare so much as just her permanent expression when speaking to people other than her family. _I'm so glad that's not me._

"H-hey, Rosalie...um, can I do something for you?" What? Rosalie wasn't in the least bit nasty to her but that didn't mean she didn't find her scary, because she did. Bella did _not _want to get on the blonde's bad side, that's for sure.

Rosalie looked at the brunette and her expression fell into that of a neutral one, which Bella supposed was better than the hostile glare she'd been sporting a moment before.

"Good morning, Bella. I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment."

Bella nodded and rose from her seat, grateful to be leaving behind her sandwich and the gyrating voice that belonged to Jessica Stanley. She collected her bag and with one last smile at Angela, she followed the blonde out of the cafeteria and its prying eyes and into the corridors that led to her next class. She could practically _see _Jessica's reaction to that. "Before you ask, no, I don't really have anything to speak to you about. I just thought you could do with some relief from a certain nosy friend of yours."

With a smile Bella shook her head, "I wasn't really paying that much attention to her to be honest, but thanks."

"She didn't seem to get the memo either way. Her voice was beginning to irritate _me _so I only assumed you were a 'like' away from slapping the shit out of her." Both grinned at that and Bella even laughed, walking through the abandoned corridors toward their fourth period lessons. "How're you holding up without Leah anyways?"

"I miss her and I suppose that's because we've hardly been apart until now, but I'm doing alright. It's reassuring having your family so close to me." The bell rang behind them loudly but neither let it bother them as they continued. "Why do you ask? Do I really look that lost without her?"

"Not at all, I was just asked personally, if you can call a text personal, by your girlfriend to check up on you. I don't believe she's taking being apart from you as well as you seem to be, which given your circumstances is understandable." The immortal explained simply as they approached Bella's biology room, both slowly to prolong their conversation without the chance of having it interrupted by a teacher or a curious student. "I don't have a problem doing that for her, it's the least I can do. Emmett watched out for you when he found both you and Leah in the forest, and I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't do that now for Leah."

"Why would you be a hypocrite?" She questioned genuinely interested and slightly confused. Rosalie placed a hand upon the human's arm, gently pulling her to a stop just a few feet from the biology room, her eyes soft and her expression diffident.

"Nobody was there to save me, Bella, and whereas Leah, Emmett and Edward prevented what could've possibly been your death, I wasn't that lucky." Golden eyes flickered over to where a couple of students were making their way over, and Rosalie quickly gave a soft shake of her head to stop Bella from asking the question she knew was on the tip of her tongue. "I know what you're thinking, but Bella you aren't the only one to have been so...horribly disgraced and humiliated the way you were, but now isn't the time to tell you my story I'm afraid. I had Esme there for me just like you did, but I know I would've wanted a sister there for me if it were possible."

Rosalie was speaking of her own siblings and herself and as she noticed the way Bella's chocolate coloured eyes became clouded with tears, she knew the brunette understood what she said clearly, but she still needed to finish what she'd started.

Wrapping the younger woman in her arms, she placed a cool kiss upon her cheek and pulled back making sure to keep eye contact.

"Esme already loves both you and Leah as much as she does us. In her eyes you are her daughter and I want, no I need you to know, that you are a sister to everyone one of us; Jasper, Edward, Alice, Emmett, me...all of us." Embarrassed at what was probably the sappiest moments of her immortal life, Rosalie tried to collect any semblance of dignity she had left by stepping back and looking away. "Now that I've officially proved I'm not a complete bitch, I should get to class or the teacher will have an excuse to keep me after school to look at my tits."

Rosalie turned to leave but was stopped by Bella's quiet, vulnerable voice.

"Thank you, Rosalie. I'd be glad to call you...my sister."

A smile so soft and absolutely breathtaking lifted at her lips and for almost an entire ten seconds Bella was too stunned to react.

"And we would be honoured to have you call us your siblings and vice versa. Have a nice day, Bella."

She left Bella standing there still too stunned to react to anything until the teacher shuffled past her and pushed the door open, murmuring his greetings to her as he tried not to drop the ridiculous stack of papers in his hand. Bella's last thought before she entered the classroom were of the brief conversation Rosalie had started with her. She smiled inwardly.

_Siblings...I could use some of those._

For the rest of the day Bella purposely avoided Jessica and her questions, even going as far as to ducking into empty classrooms when she saw her peppy friend coming toward her. At one point there was nowhere to go and the only thing that saved her from talking to her was when Bella's math teacher asked her to take some papers to the office. Usually she wouldn't have but at the time she'd have done anything to avoid speaking to Jessica Stanley and have her find out about her break-up.

At the end of the day she was able to successfully avoid any confrontations with Jessica and as she rushed out of the school toward her truck with her head down, she hoped her luck wouldn't run out. Leah was waiting for her when she got to the massive beast and the relief she felt at the sight of the Quileute was unfathomable. They embraced for what seemed like too short a time, but with the eyes they could feel on them they knew it was necessary that they pull apart regardless of not wanting to.

Bella, before Jessica could even get out of the building, quickly opened up the cab to her truck and motioned for Leah to slide into the passenger seat first, climbing in after her and allowing the beast to rumble to life. The werewolf watched in amusement as the brunette started backing out.

"In a hurry?" She guessed with a hint of laughter.

"I need to be otherwise Jessica will try and ambush me to get the fuel for her next line of rumours." A roll of her eyes and little trouble with the clutch, Bella was pulling out of the lot faster than she thought her truck capable of. "You have no idea, Leah, believe me. She's going to have a field day when she finds out about the breakup."

Leah leant against the door so she could face the frustrated brunette, and the amusement quickly drained from her eyes and her voice.

"You want me to have a word with her? She won't be spreading any fucking rumours after that 'cause I'll rip her tongue from her damn mouth." At the incredulous look from Bella, she raised an eyebrow in challenge. "What? If you wanted me to I would, you know that."

"Violence doesn't solve rumours, it fuels them." Bella disagreed, looking back to the road. "Besides I don't want to talk about her, I just want to be with you."

"Well then, I should probably point out that Harry got in contact with your dad today and told him that he and mum were getting a divorce, and that Billy and Jacob left. He called mum then she called me to let me know what was happening." As they pulled up on the curb outside the brunette's house and said girl shut off her truck, Leah hesitated. "Charlie ah...he invited Harry over for dinner and the game tonight."

Concern washed over the smaller woman and unthinkingly Bella slid across the leather seat to close the distance between them, taking the werewolf's larger hand in her own and pressing it against her own.

"I'm sorry, I'm being completely inconsiderate right now by bitching about my day and I shouldn't be. Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. Honestly, I stopped caring about my father's views on my life and my choices long ago, I'm only telling you this because I'm looking out for you. I love you." Lifting their hands, Leah turned her girlfriend's palm in her hands and kissed the flesh there with a small smile. Bella's eyes from the werewolf's place, honest to god, sparkled in captivation. "In fact I love you so much that I'm inviting you to stay the night with me at the motel. What do you say?"

"I'd say that sounds unbelievably better than having to play nice with your father." Using her open palm to hold the werewolf's cheek, Bella smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I love you too, by the way." Pulling away she laced their fingers together and opened the door, tugging her more-than-happy-to-follow werewolf after her. "But if I'm going to stay with you for the night I need to pack an overnight bag _and _call Charlie."

"And if he says you can't stay?" Leah questioned, wondering exactly how she would get herself around that one. Bella shrugged and shoved her key into the lock, smiling in thanks as her girlfriend effortlessly pushed the door open for her, following the younger woman inside.

"I won't listen."

x-o-x

The night blurred together in a whirlwind of television, pizza, beer and snuggling, and absolutely no sense of consequence at doing so, not that it was necessary either way. Charlie wasn't concerned either way with his daughter spending the night, however, if he knew Leah was supplying her with alcohol...then it'd be a different story entirely. They woke up early, showered separately, as was appropriate, before Bella took one look at the left over pizza and offered to buy them both breakfast at the diner.

The scabby pieces of day old pizza, or a hot coffee and fresh pancakes? Hard decision.

Bella, feeling unnaturally sunny despite the chilly day, was smiling and talking away the entire time she and Leah ate their syrup soaked pancakes and drank their coffee. Leah added bits here and there but really found that it wasn't all-important because Bella seemed quite content to contribute to most of their meaningless conversation. Meaningless though it was, Leah enjoyed it nonetheless.

The waitress cleared their table once they were finished and they talked quietly, intimately almost, for close to an hour before finally standing and making their way for Bella's truck. Leah was going to drop her off at school and drive up to Port Angeles to look for some form of employment, feeling certain that if she didn't start making some cash the management at the motel would kick her out on her arse the moment she was late paying for the room.

In the parking lot Leah parked as close to the van that her girlfriend's friends were crowded around.

"Come meet my friends, baby, please?" Bella asked sweetly, seemingly pleased with the idea. "I want you to meet Angela, and then you can tell Seth what a lovely girl she is."

The werewolf rolled her eyes but clambered out after Bella anyways, a smirk on her face as she rounded the truck and took her place beside the brunette, only without touching her this time around. She had to actually bite back a laugh as her girlfriend's group of friends completely broke off their conversations to instead stare at the both of them as they approached undeterred.

"Do I have something on my face?" Leah grinned down at them, standing proud as she towered over them.

"Don't be so rude you guys. She's not going to bite your head off for talking to her." Bella said slowly as though speaking to delinquents. Angela was the first to recover and quickly gave the older looking woman a friendly smile.

"Sorry, I'm Angela...Bella's best friend. It's nice to meet you...?"

The werewolf narrowed her eyes in scrutiny as she looked the other girl over, the smile never leaving her face and the motion going unnoticed.

"Leah Clearwater." Angela's smile faltered a moment, and Leah knew the teenager was trying to remember where she'd heard that name. "Bella says you know my brother Seth?"

Angela smiled then and gave a small nod, "Yeah." She didn't offer anything else and Leah didn't try to push it from her. Everyone greeted Leah after that with smiles, Eric and Tyler even going as far as to try and _subtly_ crack onto her. The brunette wasn't impressed with their behaviour but she supposed she hadn't expected anything else, so she dealt with it without showing her jealousy.

She was, however, trying unsuccessfully to stifle her laughs as Leah _none to subtly_ told them she was celibate, all the while grinning sarcastically at the way their expression had fallen in sync. It was a good thing Jessica was there to keep Mike from spouting off his own pickup lines, and it was a good thing Mike was there to keep Jessica from spouting off her own stupidity. They were the perfect couple.

_They really complement each other, _Leah had thought absently.

"Well it was _lovely _meeting you all but I have places to be, so I'll have to catch you guys later." She tilted her head to Bella. "I'll pick you up this afternoon, okay?"

Within the embrace Bella lowered her voice so only the werewolf would hear her next words. "I love you, Lee."

The older woman chuckled, "I like the sound of that...Lee. It has a certain ring to it coming from you. I love you too, sweetheart, and please don't let that bimbo get to you, okay? Don't do anything...rash, at least not yet."

Breaking apart, Bella wished with everything she felt that she could just lean in and kiss the werewolf but she knew that wouldn't go down well, at least not yet. Instead she gave Leah a sarcastic smile, one somewhat identical to the one she'd graced earlier to her male friends.

"I make no promises."


	14. Chapter 14

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART FOURTEEN**

**A/N - Hey guys! I know it's been awhile but I just didn't have time to write, so my apologies. I did, however, plan out the rest of this story and there should be roughly 20 chapters total, so yeah. :) Again, I'd like to thank those of you who take the time to review, favourite and alert my story, you guys are way too generous. :D Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

The next four weeks absolutely crawled by at a tedious, sluggish, time-consuming pace. The school day seemed far longer than it really was, and the nights at home with Charlie were even worse. Harry had told Bella's father all about his divorce with Sue, only instead of telling him the truth he'd mentioned that because he'd refused to accept Leah's sexuality he was being punished for it. They'd made him out to be the 'evil' one when in reality it was Leah's unnatural attraction to women that was evil.

What made it worse was that learning of Leah's attraction to women, Charlie became increasingly uncomfortable with Bella's newly found friendship with her. Bella visited Leah most afternoons after school unless of course the werewolf was called in to cover a shift in the little bookshop she'd gotten a job at in Port Angeles, and didn't leave until it was absolutely necessary. Charlie would be waiting for her on the stairs each night when she walked in, and though he never said anything verbally his eyes spoke volumes of his disgruntlement and unhappiness at their friendship.

Bella was torn between slapping him, shouting at him and laughing at him every time, but she always ended up keeping her mouth shut. He'd blow his damn casket if he knew the truth.

The rumours at school surrounding Bella's disappearance, which had started circulating when she returned, hadn't gotten any worse and, much to her relief had even been almost entirely forgotten. Bella never took much notice to rumours when they were about other people, because she honestly could have cared less, but this time was different as it was her they were gossiping about.

According to her classmates Bella had a pregnancy scare, was cheating on her boyfriend and had been dumped by said boyfriend for whoring herself out to the elusive Edward Cullen, who also happened to be the father of her what-could-have-been baby.

Jessica, Bella's supposed friend, was the source of a majority of the nasty rumours. That was the last straw for the brunette. She stormed off to the Cullen's table after ever so eloquently telling the blonde bimbo to fuck off, followed almost immediately by a snickering Angela and Ben. Bella had purposely sat next to Edward every break after that just to piss the stupid bimbo cunt off.

Yes, she was angry and utterly fed up with the high school drama shit, but she found that by purposely pissing Jessica off, Edward honestly wasn't that bad a guy. He was a soft spoken boy with a kind heart and the qualities of a gentleman. He even went as far as to stand and greet his sisters and the two humans as they arrived each lunch at the table. That made Jessica even angrier and Bella supposed that's why Edward continued to do it, though he showed no sign that he enjoyed aggravating her.

It was in their biology lesson on Wednesday that Edward and Bella decided to toy further with everybody else, namely Jessica who was sitting behind them to the right. They sat with their stools close together and when they spoke they lowered their mouths to each other's ears so it appeared that they were whispering sweetly to one another. In reality, however, Edward was murmuring to her everything that was running through Jessica's head, both of them grinning and giggling directly afterwards.

"She's about to tear her hair out." Edward chuckled, his gaze lifted to the board and he pretended to be paying attention as the teacher droned on. "I wish you could hear her thoughts, they're very amusing."

"I could just imagine." Bella snorted quietly. She flashed him a flirtatious smile and turned her body toward him, covering his hand with her own. "What's she thinking now?"

Edward grinned crookedly, "She's torn between wanting to murder you and wanting to do...unspeakably detailed things to me. Seeing myself included in her delusional fantasies shouldn't surprise me anymore." A deep laugh rumbled in his chest, "Mike's jealous because he thinks he has a better chance with you then me. In fact he's probably the only one who has doubts about our little act. He doesn't even care that his girlfriend is so clearly drooling over me."

"He's not as stupid as he looks then?" She said, referring to his lack of concern over Jessica and her _subtle_ desires. His actions were proof of her unlikable personality.

"I never said that. Now, we should start packing our things, the bells going to go and I'm positive you won't want to hang around any longer than necessary." Shoving his stuff into his bag, Edward then helped Bella with hers. At her curious look he shook his head, "Believe me, you don't want to hang around, Bella."

When the bell did sound Bella was quick to take Edward's advice and the two left fairly quickly, before Mike had even got out of his seat in fact. They walked side by side down the halls toward the cafeteria and were eventually joined by Angela and Ben, both whom greeted them with smiles on their faces. The thought of having to eat another dried up sandwich had the brunette's stomach churning so she bypassed lunch altogether when her friend's grabbed their own and instead settled for a bottle of water.

She spoke quietly with Rosalie, who was picking at her salad almost subconsciously as it was a habit long ago learnt to prevent the suspicion of the humans. The conversation drifted off and soon the entire table was involved in some debate over what gaming system was the better choice, and it was only then that Bella quietened down and just observed her little group of friends.

Each couple seemed to gravitate toward each other she noticed, holding one another as though it were the most natural thing in the world, some part of them always in contact. It was sweet to watch, really. Jasper and Emmett were smiling and by the shine in their eyes Bella could tell that no matter how involved they were in conversation with other people, their minds and their souls were primarily focused on their mates. The brunette wondered if her own love and connection with Leah was as obvious as the one between Alice and Jasper, and Emmett and Rosalie.

She could see that even though Edward was lost in thought, his eyes going from Angela to Ben then Alice and Jasper, and back again, and Alice was involved in her own conversation, that both were almost thinking the same thing as the other. Alice's eyes would flicker to her brother every so often as though reprimanding him and each time she did, Edward would give her a look that told her clearly to mind her own business. They were participating in a private conversation, something unheard of when around vampire's. So when Edward did excuse himself from the table it was no surprise to the brunette.

"Where're you off to man?" Emmett wasn't a very subtle individual, and it was clear he was confused at his brother's desire to leave. Edward no matter how polite was in no mood to pretend and play the happy little family when his sister continued to send him small scolding glances.

"I feel like being alone with my own thoughts for awhile. See you guys later." He could barely distinguish his own thoughts from those of everyone else.

Emmett just grumbled something under his breath about him being a pansy arse before joining back in with his previous conversation. Angela was talking with Alice. Rosalie was sitting back and flicking through a car magazine that she'd apparently pulled from her bag at some point. Bella herself was watching as Alice followed Edward's departure with her eyes and later flickered to Ben at a barely noticeable twitch. Had Bella not been paying rapt attention, she would've missed it completely, but she had been paying attention and she had caught it.

She looked over at Ben with curious brown eyes to see that Ben had gone quiet and his eyes were trained on the seat where Edward had previously sat, an almost vacant haze to those otherwise animated eyes. He appeared to be in deep thought but snapped out of it quickly.

"Are you feeling alright, Ben?" Ah Angela, always the concerned one. Only this time Bella had hoped she wouldn't have been.

Adjusting his glasses higher onto his nose, Ben smiled at his girlfriend and gave her hand, which he held in his own, a squeeze.

"I'm good, just thinking."

_Thinking? You were doing more than that, I think._ Bella was definitely intrigued.

The day progressed slowly much like the weeks prior and before the brunette was consciously aware of it she was on her way out of the school and toward the woman sitting comfortably in her truck in the lot. Her eyes were closed as far as Bella could tell and her feet were popped up on the dash, completely unconcerned that her girlfriend had told her time and time again to respect the beast.

The brunette could already feel a smile forming on her lips at the idea of lying in the werewolf's arms and quickened her pace. So close...and then Mike was in front of her, grinning like a fool in love. She _almost _considered feeling sorry for him until he opened his mouth.

"Hey, you heading home?"

"Um, no." She answered without a trace of a smile. "I'm hanging out with a...friend, so if you'll excuse me." She tried to step out of his way but he followed much to her annoyance. "Seriously Mike, I need to go."

"Can't you cancel or something? I was hoping we could do some study at my place, you know, for our exams." His smile faltered slightly when she shook her head to his question.

"Why don't you go study with your _girlfriend_? You remember her right, the one who's been spreading those rumours around about me?" Bella couldn't believe how thick headed this guy was. Did he not understand what rejection after rejection meant?

At her bitter remark he blushed and looked over to where Jessica stood glaring at them, clearly unimpressed with their close proximity, although, why Bella wasn't exactly sure. Wasn't she only just lusting after Edward? Bella now noticing how close Mike was standing stepped backward and turned her nose up. _When did he get so close?_

"We don't exactly get any study done together." He murmured playing the subtle hand that wasn't so subtle, much to Bella's utter disgust. He sent her a suggestive smirk as he turned back to her, tucking his hands into his pockets as he stood up straighter. "I know how to keep my girl satisfied."

"Apparently she doesn't know how to keep you satisfied if your pathetic attempts at seducing _my girlfriend_ are any indication." Bella should've been angry at how Leah barged into their conversation saying what she just had, assuming she was ready for people to know about them, but she couldn't be. She was so relieved that she found she honestly didn't care what Mike would make of the comment.

Mike turned around distracted and Bella moved to stand beside the tall Quileute who'd made her way over before the opportunity was lost, taking her hand and pecking her cheek in greeting. Leah sighed softly when she was shown that her interruption was appreciated, but showed no other signs of her relief as she turned a glare on the now flustered boy looking at their joined hands.

"Y-you're together? Like, eating-pussy-together?"

"Watch your mouth pervert!" Leah snapped, letting go of her girlfriend's hand to take a step closer to him. The action was obvious and Mike listened to his instincts as he gulped and took two steps backward. "You listen and you listen carefully, got it? If you so much as have a dirty fucking thought of my girlfriend again, I'll know and you don't even want to know what I'll do to you."

He laughed nervously and the fact that he was wiping sweat off his forehead didn't go unnoticed by either woman.

"What could you possibly do to me? You're a girl."

Rosalie, who had been watching and listening not far behind in amusement until now, made herself known by walking up directly behind the blonde boy. His whole body tensed as her narrowed eyes practically wished him an eternity in hell, burning into the back of his skull.

"I'm a girl, Mike. Are you afraid of me? Because I can vouch for Leah over there, and believe me, she will _crush _your balls if you so much as look at Bella again after today. Take her warning, kid." His heart rate spiked and his breathing became shallow. Rosalie chuckled darkly and a terrified shudder ran through him. He did nothing to hide it. "Now get the _fuck_ out of here."

"Oh, Mike?" Leah interrupted lowly before he could disappear. She cracked her knuckles threateningly, loving that his eyes watched the action fearfully. "It would be wise to keep your mouth shut about us, understand?"

He nodded hastily and Rosalie couldn't stop herself from grinning maliciously at the speed at which he fled, glancing at her nails distractedly, grin never leaving her lips.

"What an annoying little _rodent_."

Leah laughed lightly and glanced behind the vampire to watch as Mike made for his car without as much as a glance in his girlfriend's direction. She had him by the balls she'd threatened to crush so to speak. He wouldn't be any trouble whatsoever.

"Thank you so much!" Bella spoke to both women. "I thought for sure he wasn't going to leave me alone."

"It was a pleasure." Rosalie promised offhandedly.

"I wasn't going to sit back and watch him harass you." Leah added. She placed a kiss on the top of her head, figuring it was a safe enough action for close friends. "Now, how about we get going? I want to greet you properly."

Emmett swaggered up beside his wife with a goofy smile, wrapping his massive arm around her shoulders. "Hello lovely ladies."

The blonde vampire rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless with the knowledge that her Emmett would forever be the same playful goofball he'd always been. No doubt all he'd heard of their conversation was 'greet you properly'. Indeed it was all he needed to hear in his opinion.

Bella giggled because his expression said it all for where his thoughts were at. She tugged on her girlfriend's hand.

"Goodbye Emmett." It was a clear dismissal and promise that he would, in no way, be a part of their proper greeting to one another. She gave Rosalie a softer and more sincere 'bye Rose'.

Just as they reached the truck and Leah was helping the brunette along by opening the door, Rosalie called the werewolf's name, causing both women to look over.

"Call me later, okay? I think I found what you were looking for."

Bella didn't know what they were talking about in particular, only that her girlfriend and Rosalie had become somewhat of friends. She wasn't sure that was the right word to describe what they were but it was better than nothing. The point was that while Bella would find herself hanging with either Edward in the living room or Esme in the kitchen, Leah was always down in the garage with Emmett and Rosalie.

Alice and Jasper seemed to keep their distance because of Jasper's concern in losing control, only passing in and out as they pleased. It was a shame really. Bella wouldn't have minded getting to know them both better but she could understand Alice's reasoning just as much as Jasper's. Alice wanted to support her husband and what better way than staying by his side.

"So, I guess you're wondering what Rosalie was talking about?" Leah asked moments after the other woman pulled the truck out of the school parking lot.

Bella shrugged, "I am but I wasn't going to ask. I knew you'd tell me when you were ready."

"Aw, my considerate little sweetheart!" Leah teased. She slid along the leather seat and placed her larger hand over her girlfriend's smaller one on the gear stick. "I'm kidding. I love you, you know."

"I know, and I love you too. Now stop hesitating and tell me what's on your mind, I know it's bothering you." She glanced at Leah without turning her head away from the road, and quickly looked back. "Are you up to no good or something?"

"If you consider looking for an apartment in Seattle no good, then yes." She answered almost warily, afraid of the other woman's reaction. "I've been speaking with Rose about wanting to move away from Forks, and she told me she'd take a look around 'cause she could get me a lower rent." Removing her hand and sliding back into her seat, she then looked off out the window. "Or rather she could get _us _a lower rent."

The werewolf heard Bella's breath hitch and she could only hope it was the good kind. She was still too afraid to glance at her. Silence followed Leah's words.

Eyes flittered from tree to tree as they passed them and with each passing tree the werewolf's discomfort became more obvious. She wiped her hands continuously on her jeans to free them of the gathering sweat and eventually was forced to clasp her hands together to stop them from fidgeting. Sweating was better than fidgeting. Bella thought she should've eased her fears but found it highly amusing that Leah was acting so out of sorts, and in the end decided to wait.

Pulling onto the curb outside her house Bella shut off the engine and just sat there staring out the window for a little while longer before finally turning to face her girlfriend. Leah was waiting quietly and only looked up into those familiar soft eyes when she felt the smaller hand ease her own clenched ones apart.

Bella scooted as close as she could to her and enclosed both warmer hands with her own. "Are you asking me to move in with you, Lee?"

The werewolf sighed and smiled gently down at their clasped hands. There was that nickname again. This was all she needed in life and if Bella didn't want to live with her, she'd have to wait and hope that she'd eventually change her mind. She'd visit her every day, drop her off and pick her up from work every day if that's what she wanted.

"Yes I am but if that's not what you want, then I can wait. We'll find some way around it...I mean, you don't even have to give me an answer now. You've got what, three months until graduation right? That's plenty of time to decide."

"Baby, relax." Bella chuckled lightly. Spreading their arms she climbed into the werewolf's lap, her thighs on either side of the warm body. She smiled and leant in for a chaste kiss, placing Leah's hands on her lower back and allowing her own to wrap around her girlfriend's neck. "I would love to move in with you after graduation, Lee. Believe me, I want to get out of here just as much as you do."

"With me?" The temptation of Bella's lips were too much, so she leant in and kissed her once more, nipping her lower lip lovingly as she pulled back.

A sweet blush rose up the brunette's neck and across her cheeks as she felt her stomach flutter at the werewolf's touch.

"Always. Now come on! Charlie isn't home and I don't know about you, but I'm bloody hungry, so let's go."

Bella bounced from her place perched in Leah's lap onto the leather seat and out onto the gravel road. Glad that Charlie wouldn't be home for another few hours at least, they found themselves sitting upon the kitchen bench near the window, content with eating a turkey sandwich made from the previous night's leftovers. At some point during the afternoon the pack was brought up, and though neither woman could really understand how it had, they weren't going to waste time figuring it out.

"I haven't heard from Billy or that prick of a son of his, and neither has mum or Seth." Leah explained with a shrug. She took a sip from her can of coke and lowered the beverage to the bench beside her, expression serious. "Don't worry okay? I'll keep you safe and the Cullen's will keep you safe. You have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried about him returning, Leah. I'm worried that you're neglecting your family to spend time with me. I mean, when was the last time you spoke to Emily, or had lunch with your mother? And I'm not talking about a half hour lunch either."

"I don't know? Awhile I guess, but Bella….they understand. Yes, they're probably not happy with it but they get it, you're my imprint and you come before everybody else." She argued. Already foreseeing her girlfriend fighting her on the issue, she quickly continued on. "I'll get around to it though, alright? I'll keep your fears in mind sweetheart, but for the time being you're my main priority. They can wait."

x-o-x

"So, did you ask her?"

"Hmm?" Bella responded, only half-listening to the bronze headed vampire as she wrote the notes from the board furiously into her book. Edward laughed and gently pried the pen from his friend's hand so she would stop and pay attention. She did so with a huff, "Alright, alright….I'm listening."

"Did you ask Leah about tonight? Angela and Ben are in, so we're waiting on you." He repeated. He placed the pen down onto the desk and raised one of his thick brows patiently. Had it been anyone else, it would have come off as the complete opposite. "Please say you didn't forget! I went to so much trouble preparing this sleepover for you guys."

_Oh, right. _On Thursday Edward randomly invited their little group of friends to a Friday movie night and sleepover. Bella had to listen for hours about how he'd researched the appropriate snacks and whatnot the night before. She rolled her eyes mentally, _as if I could forget._

"Of course I did, she said it's cool. Actually she wants to speak with Rose some more, I think, about the whole apartment thing. She's a little concerned about your cooking skills though, you know, since Esme won't be there." Esme and Carlisle were going out to dinner in Seattle and were going to stay there overnight in a fancy hotel to give the 'kids' some alone time. Bella thought it was sweet of them actually.

Bella made to pick up her pen but Edward beat her to it and held it out of her reach, a pout on his face.

"I wasn't finished yet." With a sigh and an eye roll, she motioned for him to hurry up with a frustrating wave of her hand. She wanted to get back to work. He grinned and shook his head dramatically. "Don't be like that. People will think you're angry with me, or more specifically Jessica will."

"Why is that a bad thing?" He handed her the pen.

"Because she'll think we're having a lovers tiff and that she'll have the chance to weasel her way in."

She blew a strand of hair from her face and started taking notes once more, only at a less hurried pace than before.

"I don't understand why you don't just give someone a shot, Edward. What have you got to lose? You can't possibly be happy living alone in a family of mated couples."

_A genuine assumption, _he thought silently as he too started writing up the notes he had memorized some decades ago. It was ridiculous really that he knew more of this subject then the teacher in charge of teaching it to them.

"Sometimes I get lonely, yes, but I have no interest in becoming involved with Jessica or any other female at this school. I'm waiting on my mate."

"That could be a long wait, you know that. Nobody should be alone that long, especially you."

He brought his hand down upon the desk and tapped his finger so gently that the brunette didn't even notice. It was a human trait brought with him into the immortal world, just like the running of his hand through his tousled hair. He twirled his pen between his fingers with a thoughtful gaze upon them, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Possibly, but it'll be worth it in the end." He paused the twirling of his pen and gave her a sideways glance. "You invited Seth, right? I don't want him to feel left out." He added quickly, as if completely forgetting about Leah's younger brother.

"He'll be there. We'll be one big happy family."


	15. Chapter 15

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART FIFTEEN**

**A/N - Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, leave me your thoughts if you have the time. :D Thanks to those who do! Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

"So, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Leah grinned and rubbed her slightly protruding stomach in mild satisfaction. "I'm not dead yet, so that's a good sign right?"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Edward growled as humanly possible as he could, trying not to make it sound too realistic in front of the company he currently had. He went around the table collecting everyone's dinner dishes.

Seth chuckled and it was scary how alike his actions were to his older siblings, patting his stomach happily. "Your biting, Edward, and that's just what she was aiming for."

Angela, who had stood to help Edward by clearing the plates of leftover food, grinned and proceeded to hand them to Bella, who was leisurely placing them in the dishwasher.

"There's nothing wrong with your cooking. In fact you cook better than my dad."

"And mine." Bella added, though entirely unnecessarily as everybody knew just how great a cook Charlie Swan was. It was practically common knowledge in little old Forks that their Chief of Police was useless in the kitchen. "He couldn't cook to save his life."

"Yeah, dad said he saw him at the diner last night, actually. Aren't you feeding your old man properly?" Ben started collecting the glasses around the table as well as the utensils. His beanie sat comfortably on his head as usual and Bella wondered idly if he ever took it off. She couldn't recall a time he ever had. "Charlie told my pops your never home anymore. So naturally he comes to me and asks if I know what's going on with you. Charlie was troubled apparently."

"Oh?" The brunette gave a very vague response, blatantly ignoring her two friend's gazes on her. As she finished loading the dishwasher she gave a triumphant grin and started the thing, giving Edward a firm glance. "You make sure your messy siblings wash their dishes when they decide to eat."

The vampire wiped the table down with a cloth and collected the crumbs in his hand, "The parents are gone for the night, do you really think they're going to eat dinner when we have junk food and energy drinks?" He lied smoothly, silently thanking the brunette for the option to explain his sibling's disappearance when dinner was called. They wouldn't even stay and pretend to eat like Edward had.

"Why would they be drinking that stuff before bed? It'll keep them awake for hours." Angela was genuinely confused. When nobody answered and instead tried to hide their smiles she wondered what she had said that was so funny. She thought hard and felt her face flush when it dawned on her. "Oh, right."

Emmett decided to waltz in at that moment and made her embarrassment even worse.

"Yeah me and Rosie can go all night when we're buzzed up!" The pride was evident in his voice and it made Angela's blush darken considerably. Little did she know; he didn't even need a stimulant to please his woman. "But enough about my amazing skills in the sack, we have movies to watch so move your arses!" He clapped his hands together and grinned.

Bella and Leah hung back in the kitchen as the other's made their way into the living room, Angela wishing away her blush as she trailed beside her boyfriend. The moment they were alone Bella was in Leah's arms and their lips were brushing together sweetly, unconcerned with the voices drifting to them from the living room.

"Please tell me I'm allowed to kiss you tonight." Leah groaned softly, dropping her head to the brunette's shoulder to sigh. She was tired of hiding their relationship from everyone else. "I don't want to pretend."

"We won't be doing any pretending, baby." Stroking her girlfriend's hair, Bella allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "I love you, and I'm not afraid of people knowing that."

"That's good." She whispered, pulling back to kiss her lips chastely and take her hand. Using her superior strength Leah encouraged the brunette to follow her into the living room, chuckling under her breath as she noticed what Emmett had picked out and shoved in the DVD player. "Lesbian Vampire Killers, really Emmett?"

"What? Lesbians and vampire's are fucking awesome." Shrugging his massive his shoulders, he watched with eager eyes as the two women snuggled up next to each other on the smaller two seater couch. When they did nothing worth watching, he pouted and looked back to the television. "Fine then, be that way."

Angela looked up lazily from her place beside Ben and casually glanced at her friend, only to back track and take in Bella's position with Leah in confusion. _What the heck?_ Unable to fully understand the fact that they were snuggling in a way that not even she and Ben were, she continued to look at the two women as subtly as she possibly could. Not subtle enough apparently because Bella soon allowed her gaze to find the other teenager's as Leah ran her thumb gently back and forth over her knuckles.

Bella refused to back down and held her gaze steadily, telling her without words that it was exactly what she was thinking it was. Just to prove her point Bella turned her head and placed a loving kiss on her girlfriend's throat, smiling and looking back toward the TV as Leah's hold on her tightened. She knew Angela would want to speak with her but that conversation could wait. She wasn't leaving the werewolf's side any time soon.

Leah herself was far to content to pay attention enough to her surroundings to even feel Angela's eyes on them at the very beginning of the film.

It was sometime around midnight and half way through the third film that Seth decided he'd had enough. He'd sat there on the sofa chair by himself for the whole night trying not to pay attention to the _attention_ his imprint was getting from someone other than him. Little kisses that they thought nobody noticed and whispered promises for the night to come were passing between them. _What the fuck happened to them not being touchy in front of other people?_

Alice and Jasper had disappeared upstairs sometime during the second film due to the lust they and the others were all unknowingly feeding the poor male vampire. Emmett would've laughed but he wasn't stupid enough to do so, Seth's annoyance and pain was obvious to everyone. Even Bella knew just by watching them that neither was as innocent as they claimed to be. It was strange because she'd never seen them act so...intimate around people. She was as worried about Seth as his sister was.

"I'm gonna go have a smoke, I'll be back." Seth swallowed back the bile rising in his throat as he watched Ben's lips caress his imprint's throat, and quickly looked away.

Emmett looked over with sympathetic eyes as Seth stood hastily. "You want us to pause it man?"

"Ah, no it's cool." He gave a strained smile. He was almost out of the room when Leah got up to follow him.

"I might as well go and have one too, then." Leah unlike her brother was actually going to have one. She knew he needed to talk so what better excuse? She glanced around the room. "Anyone else want to join us?"

"I could do with some fresh air, I suppose." Edward smiled weakly.

It didn't escape Bella's notice that Angela, regardless of being so close to Ben, watched them leave with conflicted eyes. Bella could feel her own girlfriend's worry and held no doubt that Angela could feel Seth's pain and sadness. The bond of an imprint was _that _strong. She wanted to feel sorry for Angela but she couldn't bring herself to, not when her friend was acting so out of sorts.

Seth jumped down the steps and his eyes were trained on the forest and all that it could provide for him. For almost ten whole minutes he continued to walk, not once thinking of his destination or the animals lurking in the dark depths, knowing he was by far the strongest among them. He only stopped when he found a suitable log to sit on. He brought his gaze to the damp wood and didn't look up even as Edward and Leah joined him, picking at the dead bark with a frustrating grate of his thumb and forefinger.

"I hate this, you know. I wish I hadn't imprinted at all, it would have been a hell of a lot easier that's for sure. No pain, no jealously...no anger. I hate feeling this shit!" Growling, Seth shot off the fallen log and stormed over toward Edward. He got up in his face, his breath coming out in angry pants. "Why did you have to invite _him, _of all fucking people? Do you hate me that goddamn much?"

Edward and Seth spoke back and forth, the werewolf angrily and the vampire calmly, but Leah kept her distance, taking a seat on the log her brother had sat at previously and lighting a smoke. She watched and smoked leisurely, only interfering when she noticed Edward was getting nowhere and her poor brother was beginning to shake in his fury.

"Seth, calm down okay? It isn't Edward's fault your imprint's a slut." Leah barely had time to jump backward as Seth turned on her with a snarl, her eyes wide as she realised the error in her words. "I mean...it isn't Edward's fault your imprint is dating another guy."

Seth shook his head violently, teeth clenching. "No you don't, Leah. Just say it. I know you don't like her!"

The female wolf stubbed her smoke out on the moist dirt, sighing heavily because in all honesty she'd fucked up before she'd even began.

"I don't dislike her as a person, Seth. She's kind, she's a great friend to Bella and she's loyal, but come on! She's playing with your feelings like they mean nothing! It's not fair to you. You deserve to be treated better than that."

"You think I don't know that? I can't choose my imprint Leah, it doesn't work that way!" He shouted in frustration, his anger giving way to his pain. He sighed and rubbed his face to stop the onslaught of tears he could feel coming on. "Why can't anything be simple?"

"I know it's not easy, Seth-" Said werewolf hissed at Edward's words, who had until this moment been forgotten. How could he ever know? Holding his hands up to show he meant no harm, the vampire shook his head. "I know what you're going through better than anyone, believe me."

x-o-x

"You wanna know what your human friends are up to?"

The movie had long since ended, and now only Emmett and Rosalie were downstairs with Bella, Angela and Ben having gone to bed not long after the other's had gone for a smoke. As it was, the brunette wanted to go upstairs, take a shower and wait for her girlfriend under the covers but Emmett had convinced her to wait with them, and now she understood why.

"No." She answered brusquely, somewhat upset over Seth's state of mind. _I know Angela's aware of how he's feeling, how can she go upstairs and do _that?

Rosalie sighed and slapped her husband's shoulder scoldingly, "They aren't doing anything, Bella. Emmett's just stirring like usual, he doesn't know any better."

"Hey! I take offence to that." He crossed his arms, a playful grin twitching at his lips. He waggled his brows suggestively at the brunette when she looked his way, "Ben is one hundred percent into trying though, Angela not so much. She's...reluctant if nothing else, and quickly becoming annoyed at his eagerness."

Growling under her breath, which Emmett found very amusing, Bella shook her head in exaggeration and made her way upstairs to her room. This room practically belonged to her and Leah as far as the Cullen's were concerned. She showered leisurely in the adjoining bathroom, washing away her stress, and hoped that by the time she was done Leah would be waiting for her. So, she washed her hair and shaved her legs, careful and slow enough to ensure she didn't nick the skin and bleed. That probably wouldn't be a great move, accident or not.

After dressing in a comfortable pair of track pants and an old t-shirt, she ran a brush through her already blow-dried hair and tied it up out of the way before climbing into bed. She was just about to pick up a novel she borrowed from Edward when her girlfriend came shuffling in the door, her eyes immediately seeking out the brunette's.

"Hey." Leaning over the bed to place a kiss on Bella's forehead, the werewolf then collected some clothes from her bag. "Any chance you'll be awake when I get out of the shower? I could use some cuddling after the last few hours."

"I didn't wait up for you this long for nothing."

Leah was out of the bathroom faster than Bella thought possible. Her hair was a damp, ruffled mess around her shoulders, clearly towel dried, and her boxer shorts rode up her long legs, leaving the sun kissed skin uncovered to the younger woman's eyes. And Bella, who was peeking over the top of her book, was definitely taking advantage.

The werewolf wasn't ignorant of those eyes but she fought to let it not affect her, climbing under the covers and propping herself up on her elbow. It took only a few seconds of staring at her imprint for Bella to sigh and put the book back down, having read not even ten pages.

"You look cute all pouty, you know that?" Leaning over and using her other arm to support her, Leah kissed her way along Bella's jaw to her mouth before moving to bury her nose in her girlfriend's hair, placing a kiss on her temple as she did. "You smell nice."

"Mhm, you don't smell too bad either." Leah moved to lie on her back, pulling the smaller woman who was smiling from ear to ear on top of her. Bella didn't resist and settled on her warm body without argument, resting her head on her hands and gazing up at her girlfriend. "It's strange feeling your heart beat so much faster than mine. It's sort of soothing actually."

A chuckle rumbled in Leah's chest as the werewolf allowed her fingers to roam the expanse of Bella's back, massaging the muscles beneath them.

"You're a, what's the right word to use here..." She paused then grinned, looking into her eyes, "You're a very unique little person. That'll do. Normal people would be put off but not you, huh?"

"Nope, not me." Bella agreed, turning her head to lay her ear flat against Leah's chest, her eyes closing of their own accord.

They lay in silence then, the brunette feeling Leah's heart beat beneath her and the werewolf content with learning each and every detail of her girlfriend's back through touch, eventually allowing them to stay resting on her curvy hips. Leah grudgingly moved only her arm to switch off the lamp, and once they were blanketed in the darkness she quickly replaced its position around Bella.

"Lee?"

"Yeah?"

The werewolf waited but didn't open her eyes. Sleep was far to appealing at this point.

"Is Seth alright?" It'd been nagging at Bella since her girlfriend came back but she wasn't entirely sure the werewolf wanted to talk about it. Leah sighed.

"Seth was upset but Edward and I managed to calm him down, I'm glad he was there, truth be told." With her girlfriend draped over her, she wasn't afraid or embarrassed to admit just how worried she was. "I've never had to see him so angry and upset before. He's usually such a happy person, you know? It's not in his character to be so downtrodden over something as shitty as this. He doesn't deserve it."

"Is he okay now? You were out there for awhile." The brunette moved slightly and Leah wasn't surprised when she felt those plush lips of hers touch her chin.

"Edward had a lot to say, I guess, and it worked in calming him." Leah felt her curiosity and she chuckled softly. "Sorry honey, I can't tell you what he said. It's not my place to say anything, not yet at least."

Bella humphed quietly, so quietly in fact that the older woman had to strain to hear it.

"I offered to go for a run with him tomorrow." Leah didn't need to spell it out, Bella knew what that meant. It meant that her girlfriend was going to phase for the first time since, well, since the incident.

"I think that's a great idea, baby." This time her lips met Leah's, not her chin. Bella could only just make out her silhouette but she smiled nonetheless knowing her girlfriend would see it.

Leah licked her dry lips and allowed her eyes to study the other woman's face as she now hovered over her. She leant up using the muscles in her stomach, and brought their lips together sweetly, as usual. The pace never bothered her and it never would. If this was all Bella was comfortable with, so be it.

Leah bit back her smile and welcomed the warming of her heart as she felt her girlfriend's tentative tongue caress her lips, a shy request to deepen their kiss. Nothing would ever compare to the feelings that Bella caused her to feel. It was unreal but at the same time it felt so natural, like nothing could or would ever come between them. And if Leah could help it, nothing would. She opened her mouth and both refused to hold back their small, content moans the moment their tongues touched for the first time in weeks.

x-o-x

"So, are you going to say anything anytime soon? I expected some sort of response, Angela."

It was raining again. Leah had left earlier that morning with Seth with no regard to the horrible weather, Bella supposing she was far too excited to shift her bones and experience the thrill of tearing through the forest to care. Bella didn't really see what could be so great about it and that was because she'd never done it, but she imagined it was like having your legs suddenly taken from you; you miss the power of them and you miss the opportunity to just walk out the door and take off. She could understand it in that regard. Angela, however, had been quiet all morning, keeping to herself in a way that made the brunette genuinely concerned. Even Ben noticed.

"Do you know what's wrong with her? She's been acting strange since last night." Ben asked her when they were having breakfast. Angela was moving her scrambled eggs around on her plate, back and forth in her tomato sauce, and every so often stabbing her bacon and doing the same thing. Bella frowned in concern.

"Maybe she's upset 'cause I didn't tell her about me and Leah."

"What about you?" He paused what he was doing to raise an eyebrow and Edward shifted in his seat across from them, grimacing as he forced himself to take a bite of the toast on his plate. Bella shrugged at Ben and tried not laugh at the vampire.

"That we're dating."

Esme and Carlisle pulled in not long after the teenagers finished breakfast and Bella spoke with them only briefly before she went upstairs to change. It was no surprise when she came out of the bathroom from cleaning her teeth that she found Angela standing awkwardly by the door.

"You can sit on the bed, you know. It's clean." She herself plopped down on the side she'd slept on. After tugging on some fresh socks and noticing that her friend was still standing by the door, she sighed. "Angela, come on. Sit down."

"You're dating Seth's sister, right?" She asked once she sat down on the edge, eyes drawing closed as the brunette nodded gently. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought I was your best friend. We're supposed to tell each other things like this."

"It's more complicated than meets the eye." She answered simply at first, only to look at the hands contemplatively a moment after. "I am sorry, you know. I wanted to tell you but I just didn't think it would be a good idea so soon. I wasn't ready to tell anyone, especially not you. And I had good reason, I think, because you're acting exactly as I hoped you wouldn't."

"I'm not acting like this because you're gay, Bella. I'm upset that you didn't tell me, that you hid this from me! I'm upset that you didn't trust me." The veins in her neck strained and her hands clenched on her thighs, and it wasn't from anger. Both young women looked at the other with tearful eyes, Bella of guilt and Angela of hurt.

"I'm sorry, really I am, but you aren't exactly innocent of lying here either. I know for a fact that you're in love with Seth," She held up her hands, face firm when her friend opened her mouth to deny it. "You can deny it all you want, but I can see it. I'm not stupid Ang, and I _know_ you won't be able to push it away. You can try but it won't work. You _will_ leave Ben and you _will_ go to Seth, it's only a matter of time."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Angela was very forceful in defending those accusations. It was almost a growl in Bella's opinion and had it been a different situation, she would've laughed and congratulated her for how convincing it sounded.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about, Angela. Do you think it was all sunshine and daisies for Leah and I? It wasn't. People got hurt. I got hurt. Shit happens and there isn't anything we can do about it."

Angela wouldn't believe somebody else had to suffer the pain she felt daily by forcing herself to stay with Ben and reject Seth. Being with Seth felt so right that she knew it was wrong, especially since she was supposedly in love with another man. Ben was getting frustrated, more so than usual, with Angela's lack of attention but how could he possibly understand if she tried to explain herself. No, she couldn't risk that.

"I...won't hurt Ben, not like that." Her whisper was shaky at best and Bella's heart went out to her friend.

Bella didn't have anything to say to that. Angela was a big girl and there wasn't much she could say to make her change her mind. Carlisle knocked at the door then and told Angela her father was on the phone and wished to speak with her. He waited until she was gone and gave Bella a small smile.

"She'll come around, Bella. Don't you worry, alright? Seth's a tough kid."

As she passed Edward's music room on the way down to the living room and heard him playing a tune on the piano, she allowed a smile to replace her previous worried expression. The door was slightly ajar and Ben was shyly glancing inside, watching as Edward played his time away. Ben hadn't even noticed her.

"He's amazing, huh?" Ben jumped backwards from the door as though burned and a blush spread over his cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"N-nah, you didn't. You just took me by surprise." He mumbled with a nervous grin, eyes flickering to the door when the music stopped suddenly. Edward appeared in the doorway, a charming smile on his face. "Oh...uh, hey there."

"Do I have a fan club waiting for an autograph out here or something?" Edward laughed, golden eyes glancing between the two. He opened the door further and swept his hands inside. "By all means, you can both come in and listen. I don't mind, honestly."

"No it's cool, I should probably get going anyways. I think Ang's dad wants her home and since I'm her ride and all..." He trailed off awkwardly, stepping backward towards the stairs, and completely oblivious to the brief flicker of hurt in the musician's gaze he took another. "Um, so yeah. Catch you guys Monday!"

Bella expected to turn and see Edward watching him in confusion also as he fled, but that wasn't what she found. Instead, Edward was back in his room and staring at the piano keys, his shoulders slumped and his hands clenched.

"I think I need to follow Seth's example and go for a run." Edward's fists slackened. One minute he was by the piano, the next his window was open and he was crouching at the edge, preparing to lunge into the forest beneath. Bella just stood there with her lips parted, not being able to comprehend what was going on. The vampire sighed. "There's a journal in the compartment under the piano bench. It's the only form of privacy I can have in a house of vampire's. I wrote in it last night."

Then he was gone. Looking from the window to the piano bench, she frowned and wondered if he meant for her to read his journal._ I can't do that, can I?_ She stepped forward but hesitated as she reached out to lift it. _This is wrong._ Her hand returned to her side and she turned before she could be tempted to intrude on his private thoughts. If he wanted her to know he would have said something to her as he left, blurted it out or something, but he hadn't and so she wouldn't.

"Ben's in denial, like Angela." Seth's voice drifted to her from the doorway, and Bella whirled around in surprise clutching her heart. He smiled. "Sorry."

"Fucking supernatural creatures and their supernatural fucking stealth." She muttered, glaring at a full on laughing Seth now. "Feeling better then?"

"Yeah, you'd be surprised what good a run can do. You should ask Leah to take you for one, you'd love it."

"Maybe. Now what were you saying?" Bella quickly got back on track before the werewolf could push her off it. She was far too confused to let it go like she usually would.

Seth on the other hand wasn't entirely sure it should be him to tell her of what he knew very little about. Edward didn't seem to care anymore, though, that's what he'd told the two werewolves last night in the forest. He'd just given her the chance to find out through his journal entry but she looked like she wasn't going to take it, which Seth supposed was admirable.

"Edward's in the same boat as me, Bella. His mate...refuses to accept the feelings that go with their bond." He said as slowly and as quietly as he could. He doubted that the entire house wouldn't have heard, though. They were vampires for fucks sake.

He looked back to his sister's imprint at the almost, but not quite there, gasping sound she made as it all formed in her head, her eyes widening.

"Ben is Edward's mate?" She shut her mouth and blinked rapidly, finally understanding just how fucked up this situation was.

Seth nodded even if it wasn't really needed, "Sure is. Nobody bar Alice knew up until last night and now, well, now everybody knows except those who could actually benefit off knowing." He shrugged and tilted his head toward the carpeted floor, concentrating. "Leah's asking for you. She's downstairs with Esme discussing...our tricky situation. She wants to apologise for not telling you herself last night."

Bella wanted to smile but instead pushed the urge aside and brought Seth into a hug. He didn't disappoint and slowly wrapped his arms around her, accepting her desire to make him feel better.

"You're wrong, you know Seth? You can benefit off knowing this and so can Edward. Be strong and patient, and everything will work out." She pulled away and pat his cheek gently, something a sister would do to show affection, before both smiled at the other. "Now, I'm going to go see my girlfriend 'cause believe it or not, I missed her today."

"She missed you too, now get going. I think I'm gonna wait up here for Edward."


	16. Chapter 16

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART SIXTEEN**

**A/N - Hey guys! I kinda rushed to get this out so please forgive any mistakes. I've sort of lost interest in this story but given that I only have four chapters left, they will get out on time. I'm forcing myself to write for the readers I do have, so thank you for leaving your thoughts and keep them coming. :) Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Bella was a little nervous. Okay, she was a lot nervous. The woman behind her, who Bella was watching like a hawk in the mirror by the way, was staring at her with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, the features of someone who took their job very serious. _And so she should, _Bella thought anxiously.

The woman was probably about Leah's age but that was the only thing she had in common with the werewolf. Juliana, as she'd introduced herself, was the sort of woman Bella avoided out of principle. It wasn't because they were unfriendly; it was simply because she felt awkward, nervous even, in front of them. Juliana's tan was clearly fake and her hair was dyed platinum blonde, a style the brunette hated with a passion. Her make-up was perfect and her eyes were so blue that Bella was sure they were contacts. Bella felt insecure around women like that.

She wasn't sure about this but Alice had insisted, so here they were waiting in a salon while the hairdresser assessed what to do with Bella's hair. The only reason she even came to Port Angeles was to get some books, which she had gotten, but she never agreed to all the other stuff that Rosalie and Alice wanted to do. Seth and Angela, who had also came to get some books, were able to get out of it with the excuse of going to hand in resumes to different businesses. Seth knew it was a set up, for which he was happy, and not a very subtle one, but Angela was oblivious and very reluctant to spend time alone with him, however, it was better than a salon. Bella got the stink eye until they were out of sight.

"Before I start Bella, do you have anything that you're specifically against?" Juliana fingered a strand of Bella's hair and she smiled as their eyes locked in the mirror. "The length is impressive. I can't believe you want to cut it off!"

"It's time for a change, I think. And no, you can do what you like with it just don't make it too outrageous." She answered, returning the smile weakly. What? She was nervous!

"Yes, please don't, Leah would kill me." Alice chirped from her place on the plush red couch behind them. She closed her magazine without having even read it and skipped over to stand beside the hairdresser, grinning cheekily. "She's very passionate about Bella's hair."

"How would you even know that?" Bella was baffled. She herself barely knew Alice and she was sure Leah didn't know her all that well either, so she didn't really know how to take the smaller vampire's _knowing _her so well. Alice giggled.

"I have my ways, plus Rose insisted I call and ask her to take you here. Leah threatened my wardrobe when I joked about you wanting to get a crew cut. As if I would let you shave your head like that, honestly." The smaller vampire rambled, a pout appearing on her face as both human's laughed at her. "It's not funny, my clothes are designer."

"Oh, I totally understand. If I could afford designer clothes I would murder anyone who tried to destroy them." Juliana sprayed Bella's hair with cold water and ran a brush through it gently, eyes alight with excitement. "So, is Leah your step-mum or something?"

Alice laughed and muttered a 'yeah right' as she danced back over to the couch where her sister was reading a magazine. Juliana just smiled and watched the smaller woman go before looking back to her customer in time to see her blush.

"No, Leah's my girlfriend actually." She admitted as the woman ran a hand through her hair in contemplation of what she would do with it. "So, what are you going to do with it?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe we'll take some of the length but not all of it, you know, since your girlfriend likes it that way." She winked playfully and twirled a strand of her brown locks as the younger woman blushed once more. "But we'll layer it and give you a razored fringe. A shorter length will allow for you to straighten it easier and quicker as well."

"I live in Forks." Bella laughed and Juliana grinned as she caught on to what she was saying. Keeping your hair straight in Forks was a lost cause. "But yeah, I like it. Not too drastic but still noticeable."

"Awesome, let's do this!"

x-o-x

Bella sat awkwardly in the middle backseat of Rosalie's Mercedes on the way home from Port Angeles, her hands resting in her lap and her head tilted back against the headrest. The car was silent apart from the quiet tune coming from the CD playing in the stereo, and the tension was palpable.

"So, your hair looks good Bella." Rosalie murmured from the driver's seat, glancing in the mirror between the three humans worriedly. She needed to break the silence and that was the way she could think of.

"Thanks." Cue awkward silence once more.

Rosalie looked to her sister desperately and begged her without words to do something. Alice sighed.

"What did you guys do while we were at the salon?" Alice turned and looked through the middle of the consol, taking in Seth and Angela's expression curiously. It was times like this that she wished she had Edward's ability to read minds.

"We handed in some resumes and had some lunch. Oh, did I forget to mention Seth kissed me?" The two vampires in the front tensed up at the bitter edge to Angela's voice and Bella lifted her head, swallowing nervously as she looked between her friend and the werewolf. The hostility was rolling off them. "Yeah, he planted one right on me in front of the whole food court."

"You didn't exactly push me away." Seth muttered, crossing his arms and looking out the window. "You liked it. You kissed me back, didn't you?"

Alice gave the brunette, who looked about ready to jump on Alice's lap right about now, an apologetic glance and slowly turned in her seat. _Oops._

"That's not the point, Seth, and you fucking know it!" Angela exploded, snapping her head around to face the younger boy as she strained to look around Bella. Bella swallowed and shrunk back further in her seat. "You kissed me! I have a boyfriend!"

"Do you? I wouldn't have guessed with all the kissing and canoodling you two were doing on Friday night." He laid the sarcasm on thick and his voice shook with his aggravation. They stared at one another without blinking, their eyes narrowed and their breathing heavy before Angela begrudgingly looked away, backing down without verbally saying as such. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You knew exactly what the fuck you were doing to me, and you still did it! Leah was right, I deserve better than this."

"You know what? Let's just drop this. I don't want to talk about it anymore, consider it forgotten." She pulled her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, laying her head on the window. This wasn't giving her any satisfaction. She was angry with herself more than she was angry with him because he was right, she'd kissed him back.

"No, I don't think so! You don't get to just-" Seth stopped himself when he heard his imprint's quiet hiccups of breath, alerting him to the fact that she was about to start crying and it was taking a lot of self control not to. His heart clenched in sympathy and regret but he refused to allow those feelings to guide him. Instead he ignored them, gritted his teeth and sat back stiffly against the seat, deciding then and there that he was far too angry to continue this _conversation_.

Angela was first to be dropped off and she left before Bella could utter even a single word to her, slamming the door behind her and causing the blonde vampire in the front seat to hiss. _Don't take it out on my baby! _

When Rosalie pulled up outside Leah's hotel Seth shot out of the car and started pacing, leaving Bella to shake her head and groan at the day's events.

"Tell me about it." Alice muttered as she remained seated in the car. Her sister on the other hand got out of the car with the human and gave her a quick hug, kissing her cheek chastely.

"Leah sent me a text earlier to let me know she was home. She's anxious to see your hair but I think she'll love it. I do, it's very you." She encouraged with a smile before shifting her gaze over to a near trembling Seth as he continued to pace angrily. The smile slipped off her face. "Give Seth some space, okay? He's far too dangerous to be around when he's this unstable."

Seth paused and growled loudly, "Shut it, leech!"

Rosalie stiffened and opened her car door without another glance at the young werewolf, "My point exactly. Go for a run, _dog._ See you at school tomorrow, Bella."

"Thank you for today, the both of you."

Alice leant over so her head was visible to the brunette, and she smiled sweetly.

"You're welcome. Hey, maybe I can take you clothes shopping sometime? It'll be fun, I promise!"

"Yeah maybe. Drive saf- what am I saying? Of course you'll drive safe, you're vampires." Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, Bella blushed when the sisters laughed. "Alright, I get it. Cut me some slack." She rubbed her neck embarrassed. "I'll catch you guys tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Bella."

The sun had gone down some hours ago but the Leah and Bella hadn't moved much all afternoon. Leah was laying on her bed with her girlfriend's head in her lap and her fingers running gently through her brown tresses, her eyes following the movement every so often before flickering back to the TV. She liked the way the hairdresser had cut and styled her girlfriend's hair and she couldn't stop herself from touching it. Bella for the most part was content. She was still slightly worried about Seth and Angela but she refused to waste her energy on it when she was with Leah. It wasn't her problem.

Bella was flicking through the channels and wondering how much longer she would be able to stay before her father started hounding her, when Sue knocked on the door. She came with news that neither wanted to hear, news that had Bella turning pale and Leah trembling beneath her skin with fury.

"How do you know, Sue? It could've been...a real wild animal. It might not be what you think!" The brunette was sweating horribly and her clothes were clinging to her in a far too uncomfortable way. She wanted to cry or scream, or both. "Maybe we're all rushing to conclusions."

"I'm sorry, but nobody is rushing to conclusions. What are the chances, Bella? This is happening and there isn't a thing we can do about it. We should not have let Jacob go, I knew that and Sam knew that, and now so do the other members. Billy included."

"Billy was a bastard but he didn't deserve to be mauled to death. Especially by his own fucking son! I should've killed that prick the moment I was back on my feet, but I didn't, and now Jacob's a threat to whole town!" Sue glanced to her fuming daughter and worried her bottom lip when she noticed Bella with silent tears trekking down her face. She couldn't imagine what thoughts were rushing through the young woman's head.

She rushed the Bella's side and took her in her arms, pushing her hair from her face and guiding her to lay her head on her shoulder, shushing her quietly.

"If you're going to act so selfishly, Leah, go do it someplace else. You aren't helping." Her mother snapped in a low tone, narrowing her eyes at the glare Leah gave her in return.

"I'm not being selfish, I'm trying to control the urge to shift and chase that motherfucker down." She muttered darkly and breathed heavily through her nose. She stood by the wall since her mother and her girlfriend had taken the bed, taking in Bella's condition with regretful eyes. She wanted to be in her mother's position but with the anger coursing through her veins, she knew it wasn't a good idea. "Bella honey, I promise he won't get the chance to hurt you. If he's stupid enough to come back here, there is a whole coven of vampires on our side to stop him. And we will stop him, once and for all."

Leah knew, courtesy of Sue, that at this exact moment Sam was speaking to the pack and the rest of the council about the situation at hand. Rebecca had been called by authorities little over an hour ago to be told that her father's mutilated body had been found on the border of Texas and New Mexico, and that her brother was missing. A wild animal had attacked him, only they had no idea what _kind _had done it. Rebecca then called Sue and she had the job of telling Sam and the others.

Billy's daughters were in the dark with anything concerning their werewolf heritage and it near broke Sue's heart when she realised that Jacob, their own brother, had been the wild animal responsible.

Sam was calling on the pack and council at the exact moment Sue left to warn her daughter and her son. Seth was not here though, so she knew he would be with Sam and that he would now know.

Leah watched helplessly as her mother failed to calm her imprint entirely and made the decision to push aside her fury, and take initiative. Her mother was right. She was being selfish. She took her girlfriend in her arms and whispered gentle and calming kisses up and down her throat, willing her without words and only actions, that everything would be alright and that she was loved. Nothing would ever take her from Leah.

Sue left shortly after because it was clear that the girls needed some time alone to come to terms with what was ultimately going to happen. Leah was grateful to have Sue there for her and she didn't deserve the way Leah had treated her, that's for sure.

It was sometime later that Bella had managed to gain control of her tears and speak. Her voice was weak and defeated, and she made no move to leave her girlfriend's embrace, safe in her little cocoon of warmth and power.

"Do you think he'll really come here?"

Leah cleared her throat to stop it from cracking with the fear she felt coming from her imprint. "I think it's inevitable, yes." She admitted softly.

"I'm so scared, Leah. I don't want anything to happen to you, or Seth, or the Cullen's, or anyone! I just want to move on with my life and I knew, I just knew that Jacob would be back. He won't ever give up and that scares me so badly." She whimpered quietly, her tears threatening the control she had. "I love you all so much, and I...I..."

Leah kissed her head gently and shushed her, releasing a shaky breath as she did so. "I will not let him take you away from me, and I won't let him take me from you, okay? I promise he won't stand a chance against us if he's shows his dipshit face around here again."

"You promise?"

The werewolf nodded and hugged her girlfriend closer, "I promise, Bella."

The next couple of months before senior graduation were supposed to be stressful in the sense of exam preparation and what to wear to their formals, and who their date would be, but those months were stressful for Bella for an entirely different reason. On top of all those things her conscience was eating at her because of the deaths being broadcasted over each and every news channel in the country.

Eighteen year old female brunettes with chocolate mocha coloured eyes and pale skin. The authorities hadn't put together their similarities yet; they were still assuming it was a rampant animal out terrorising the states. They were close but not quite there yet. Neither the Cullen's or the Werewolves expected them to come to the conclusion that it was a werewolf, or more specifically Jacob, that was leaving these girls mauled beyond recognition. Suffice to say Bella was terrified of what would happen and it didn't help at all that everyone was assuring her he wouldn't get past their defenses.

She hadn't been left unsupervised at all, not for a second during those two months, and whilst she was grateful her safety was one of their main priorities, it did get a little frustrating. If she was at school she was with a Cullen. If she was home and Leah was working, a Cullen was watching her from somewhere. There was always somebody watching. Night was less annoying because she spent every night in Leah's arms, under her father's roof without his knowledge.

Angela wasn't speaking with Seth, in fact she was downright giving him the cold shoulder since the whole kissing incident. When she spoke to Bella about it a few days afterwards she was in hysterics, not knowing what to do and how to go about doing whatever it was she was supposed to be doing. Bella suggested she take some time away from both Ben and Seth to decide what she wanted but Angela chose instead to avoid the werewolf and tell Ben about the kiss. They'd been acting strange around one another ever since and when the brunette asked Angela if everything was alright, she claimed it was. Bella let the lie slide. She had more important things to tear her hair out over.

It was a Thursday night when things got even worse than they already were. Bella's birthday was a few weeks off, Alice insisted they have a party to relax everybody but Bella refused, and she'd just walked through her front door after having dinner with her girlfriend at the diner. Leah was waiting for her upstairs, so Bella planned to talk quickly with her father before she went up there. Charlie was sitting in the living room with the television off and the lamp on, a beer in his hand as he swayed and stumbled himself to his feet. He looked awful and Bella cringed at the way his unfocused eyes took her in. _This isn't going to be a nice evening talk._

"Are you fucking...L-Leah?" Bella could hardly understand him, but she got the gist of it and her eyes narrowed at the phrasing.

"I'm _dating _Leah, yes."

Bella had watched her father with drawn eyes as he stumbled his way past her and tripped on his way up the stairs, spilling his beer all over himself and the carpet. She tried to help him stand but he just brushed her off and kept going, leaving her and the beer behind. He didn't shout at her and he didn't curse or mumble to himself either. He was completely silent as he locked himself in his room. He didn't even slam the door, he was calm and that scared her.

Now though, as she looked back on his reaction, she hoped he only needed time. With Leah beneath her, holding her, she was content enough to close her eyes and try to sleep, only that too proved too difficult because her dreams were plagued with so many sweat-inducing things that she woke every hour or so. When she woke for the fourth time and was forced to strip down to her underwear because she was practically drowning in her own sweat, Leah grumbled.

"What's wrong, hon?" The werewolf tried to wrap an arm around her girlfriend and frowned when Bella pushed her away. "Bella?"

"It's hot." She whined in a whisper, fanning her face in exaggeration and grumbling when her girlfriend chuckled at her expense. "It's not funny! I can't sleep and I'm burning alive here."

Leah watched her through half-lidded eyes as she stood and stumbled her way to the door in the dark, too tired to completely pay her girlfriend's barely clothed body attention. Not that she would ever take advantage like that anyways.

"I'm going to go get a drink and wash my face." She informed the werewolf quietly as she opened the door, careful not to wake her father. She, luckily, could still hear him snoring from his own room.

"Would you like some company?" Leah stretched and yawned, rolling onto her back and popping her bones as she did so. Bella smiled weakly. She would've loved the company but she didn't want to be responsible for both of them getting no sleep.

"No baby, go back to sleep. I'll be back up in a minute."

"You sure?" Leah yawned again and despite her words, rolled back over onto her side. If Bella wanted her to stay in bed, which apparently she did given that she softly told her to stay put in response, she would. "Alright then, love you."

"Love you."

The werewolf didn't go back to sleep when Bella left and in fact listened as she descended the stairs and went about cooling herself down. Anything could happen if she wasn't paying attention and she wasn't about to risk the possibility of Jacob snatching Bella from under her nose. She had to be strong for her girlfriend but that didn't mean she wasn't feeling the fear Bella was. Leah was sure Bella knew she was scared and she was grateful that Bella chose not to bring it up.

She listened as the brunette ascended the stairs to use the toilet and only when Leah heard her open the bedroom door and felt her climb back into bed beside her, did she allow her eyes to close.


	17. Chapter 17

**Little Red Riding Hood - PART SEVENTEEN**

**Disclaimer - Twilight belongs to SM.**

After her girlfriend had accidently woke her up the night before, Leah found it nearly impossible to get back to that haven of sleep. It seemed to evade her as she was worrying about Bella, who conveniently enough, was still tossing and turning and worrying about Jacob and Charlie.

When she climbed out the window to make it look like she was only just arriving to pick Bella up for school, Charlie still wasn't up. That worried her. She could hear him upstairs shuffling about but he hadn't come downstairs yet because clearly he was avoiding his daughter. Bella knew this too, and the look in her eyes as they left near broke Leah's heart.

Bella barely even put any effort into saying goodbye to Leah once she was at the school but regardless of feeling a tiny bit rejected, which was completely ridiculous anyways, Leah waited until Bella was safely beside Edward and his siblings before leaving. She had a breakfast date with her cousin, yes, but Bella's safety was above everything else so if she was late, then she was late.

She hadn't seen Emily in so long that it was only natural that she had trouble keeping the smile off her face as they embraced. It was hard to believe that they'd ever gone through a period without talking and with Leah practically despising the other woman's existence. It wasn't undeserved, or at least that's what she thought at the time, but still.

Now, however, as they sat across from one another, Leah eating syrup soaked pancakes and Emily with her eggs and bacon, she was content to not speak and just enjoy each other's company, something she hadn't done for many years. It was nice.

Their silence didn't last long though because the werewolf simply couldn't let what Jacob was doing go. She needed to know that the tribe were on her side this time, and not only 98 percent, but the whole 100.

"The council rejected Harry's attempts to spare Jacob's life." Emily answered when the werewolf asked about her fears. "It was a stupid request and Old Quil told him as much. As if they would spare him for all the lives he's taken since murdering Billy." She shook her head sadly, putting her fork down to sip from her coffee. "I feel so sorry for those girls, Leah, and what makes it worse is that had he been executed like you wanted instead of exiled, those girls would be graduating school in a few weeks, and studying for their upcoming exams like Bella is."

"I know. Believe me I've thought about it." Leah pushed her half eaten pancakes away, now no longer hungry, and frowned. "I never stop thinking about it, Em. I feel like this is all my fault, you know? I should have been stronger."

"Leah, you were outnumbered, there was no way you could have been any stronger than you were." Her cousin said firmly. Leah knew she was right but it didn't stop her from feeling what she feeling. "They've been very withdrawn, actually."

"Who?" She frowned in confusion.

"Paul and Embry." Emily answered reluctantly and as if sensing her cousin's anger, she quickly went on. "Don't get me wrong, Leah, I haven't spoken to them or anything…in fact no-one has, but…I don't know, it's strange."

"What do you mean strange?" She muttered, not particularly wanting to talk about those arseholes.

"I mean they haven't even been speaking to Harry. They've practically been murdering Quil with their eyes since Jacob and Billy left."

"Quil is only marginally below them on my shit list, Em. Now can we not talk about them? It makes me want to crush something."

The other woman nodded and apologised, scooping up her last bite of bacon and dipping it in tomato sauce. "How's Bella holding up?" She asked instead.

"I dunno." Emily watched her cousin closely, chewing slowly as Leah tapped her fingers on the table top from her earlier frustration. "She's scared, which is completely understandable, but I think she just wishes he'd make an appearance already so that we can move on, you know? She doesn't want to live like this for the rest of her life."

"I don't blame her." Emily swallowed her food and wiped her mouth with a napkin, placing it on her empty plate in a screwed up ball afterwards. "Sam won't leave me unsupervised either. I have to call him to pick me up, if you can believe it."

"I can believe it. I'm doing the exact same thing with Bella." The werewolf agreed. "Except I have the Cullen's helping, who by the way, were pretty offended when I said it wasn't necessary that they get involved."

"Well, they saved your life and Bella's. Jesus, they even nursed you back to health and let you live with them! That's more than most people would do in a lifetime."

Leah rolled her eyes but there was a fond smile on her face, "I know. Don't worry; they changed my mind after a four hour long lecture on why it's their responsibility to protect us."

"I think it's sweet." The smile on Emily's face faded and Leah knew with only a subtle sniff as to why. Charlie apparently decided to dine out for breakfast again. Big surprise. "Um...Leah..."

"I know." She muttered darkly, sighing as she registered the hostility that was rolling off him. There was no mistaking where that anger was being directed. Today was just not her day.

"He doesn't look happy, Leah, maybe we should leave." Emily didn't like the look on the Chief's face one bit.

Leah wasn't about to leave and even if she wanted to there was no time. Charlie tried to tower over the werewolf when he got to their table but Leah, not feeling very submissive today, stood also. She was at least six inches taller than her girlfriend's father.

"I want you to stay away from my daughter, got it?" There was no trace of the kind man she'd known before all this werewolf shit. His face was red, his eyes were bloodshot from a night of drinking and his hair was clearly not brushed. Leah kept her face calm but crossed her arms threateningly.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful Sir, but my friendship with Bella is no business of yours."

Emily glanced around nervously as she felt every set of eyes in the diner watching the exchange with interest.

"Don't play coy with me! You stay away from Bella, or so help me god..." His hand came to rest on his gun and Leah narrowed her eyes.

"You'll shoot me?" She scoffed unconcerned. Even if he could bring himself to pull his gun on her and pull the trigger, her body would heal before it killed her anyways. Or at least that what she hoped, she wasn't too keen to test her theory. "Bella's an adult, she doesn't need your permission on who she can and can't date."

"Why you-"

"Okay! I think we should all cool down a minute here." Emily stood quickly and placed her hand on Leah's arm, squeezing it tightly to warn her to calm the fuck down. His hand was still on his gun, after all. "Chief Swan, with all due respect Leah's right."

Leah was prepared to stand in front of her cousin if need be because now even she was a little uncertain about the twitching of his finger over his gun. When he did allow his hand to fall slowly to his side, reassuring the women, and the diner in fact, that he wasn't about to start a massacre over his daughter, Leah was relieved. He was breathing heavily as he turned away, clearly forgoing the idea of breakfast.

"You aren't welcome in my house, Leah."

"And what about Bella?" The werewolf argued, stepping away from Emily and closer to her girlfriend's father. Bella would be heartbroken if Charlie did what Harry had done to her. He hadn't kicked her out, no, he'd done far worse, but Bella wasn't like her. She wouldn't handle her father turning on her like a rabid dog.

"This fascination she has with you will wear off soon enough. It's just a phase." Charlie left on that note and Leah was slightly less angered that he wasn't going to go about it the way Harry had. _How did he even find out about us? _The only person she could think of was Harry but before she could fully ponder that thought and get angry over it, the waitress made her way over.

"Don't worry about him, he's just upset 'cause they found another poor girl mauled in Seattle this morning." This was news to both Leah and Emily, and even the waitress could see the worry on their faces at the mention of the attack being so close to home. "You ladies just stay out of the forest, and you should be fine."

That would've been good and done if Jacob was conveniently like other feral animals, but truth is he wasn't. He didn't have boundaries because the city and people weren't something he feared. Leah took comfort in knowing the Cullen's wouldn't leave her girlfriend's side at least.

x-o-x

"You're a smart little girl, huh?" Leah smiled as she watched the five year old, who had come into the bookstore with her mother about half an hour ago, read a page from Dr Seuss' _Are you my Mother?_ "My dad and I used to read this together when I was your age."

"My daddy's always at work. Mummy reads to me before bed." Tessa, the little girl, giggled as she turned the page of her book and took in the next picture. "Oh, it's a doggy!"

Leah laughed, "You like dogs, then?"

Tessa nodded passionately, and continued to gaze down at the picture with an innocent smile even as her mother walked back over from where she had been browsing the stacks.

"She loves them but unfortunately we have nowhere to keep one, so she has to be content with the ones in her books." Tessa's mother spoke almost regretfully. She was holding a thick novel in one hand while she used the other to hold out for her girl to take. "Do you want that book, sweetie?"

The werewolf spoke with them quietly as she scanned their two purchases behind the counter. Tessa's mother, who she learned was named Abby, had to rush off down the back of the store to grab a book she'd forgotten about earlier, leaving Leah to watch her daughter for a moment. It was when Tessa was reading the page after the dog that the store door chimed and Leah froze.

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled and her muscles tensed violently, dark eyes snapping up to where she knew her customer was standing. A growl rumbled in her chest.

Standing there, leaning against the wall by the door with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face was Jacob Black.

His once short hair was now almost as long as Leah's except whereas hers was clearly well looked after, his wasn't. It was knotted and uneven, and his eyes, which were framed by the unruly clutter of hair, were wide and wild. His tanned skin was covered in dirt and grime from not bathing, and his clothes...she was sure had seen better days. His shorts were torn and hanging off his hips loosely, and his shirt was stained by a horrible murky yellow and a rusty, darkened red colour. The last was blood, Leah knew this, and it made her stomach churn. She could smell it.

Abby was quick to leave with her daughter once she paid for her purchases, and Leah was doing her best not to let her worry for them show on her face. If she showed concern there was a greater chance that Jacob might hurt them. Another customer entered as they left and her stomach dropped in dread as she greeted the middle aged man stiffly, her eyes never leaving the feral werewolf at the door.

Jacob remained silent this whole time, just watching her from behind his smirk, eyes following her every move intently, not that she was doing a lot of that. He shifted on his feet and the female werewolf growled low in her throat, warning him the only way she knew how. Jacob chuckled low and deep, the sound so much more hollow than Leah thought possible.

"I'll see you soon, dyke. Tell Bella...I say _hi_."

He left within the blink of an eye and it took Leah a few moments to register that he was definitely out of the store. She worked quickly to whip out her phone and dial Rosalie's number before her customer asked for some sort of assistance.

x-o-x

Leah stood in the Cullen's driveway beside Bella's truck, the truck she gunned here from Port Angeles a few hours ago. She thought for sure it would die in her hurry to get back to her imprint, and she was surprised it hadn't. She had a whole new sense of respect toward the thing now.

Rosalie had informed her family of Jacob's visit almost as soon as Leah called her at about 1o'clock, and they were far from impressed as they left the school. They were anxious about what his taunt meant, about whether he truly had gone mad given the werewolf's detailed description of him. Everyone had simply assumed he was a selfish monster but Leah knew, after only a few minutes in his presence, that it wasn't the case. He was mad.

"Madness is a horrible thing." Esme murmured sadly as she brought out a sandwich for both Bella and Leah. She sat beside her husband on the arm of the sofa chair, and Carlisle, who was thinking silently to himself, subconsciously placed his arm around her waist.

"No doubt, but suppose he had been unstable long before any of this happened...he would've cracked sooner or later. It was just a matter of when. I'm surprised nobody saw it, actually." He looked at the women across from him as they picked at their uneaten food, and sighed. "You should eat. Starving yourselves isn't going to make this go away."

"The thought of food right now is making me ill." Bella looked up at Esme apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Esme. Your food is always amazing but I'm just so..."

"It's perfectly alright, dear." She interrupted with a kind smile, "I understand."

They spoke for a long while before Jasper came down from upstairs to suggest they go and patrol the area. He, Emmett and Carlisle offered their services and left fairly quickly after that. It was only a few minutes later that Leah spoke up to tell everyone that she was going to go see Sam and the Pack.

So now she was standing outside hugging her girlfriend goodbye and making her promise that she wouldn't leave the Cullen's until she came back.

"Like I would, Lee." The brunette pulled away from their embrace with a kiss to the werewolf's cheek, aware that Rosalie was behind them. "Be careful, please."

Leah nodded and pulled her in for a proper kiss, elated that she didn't pull away this time regardless of their company. The werewolf could hear Rosalie grumble and return inside.

"I love you and I'll see you soon, sweetheart." She kissed her chastely one last time before making her way to the edge of the forest, only to look back at her girlfriend pointedly when she didn't hear her go back inside. She smirked. "Are you still out here 'cause you want to see me naked? You don't have to be sneaky about it, Bella."

The older woman lifted her shirt over her head and laughed when she noticed Bella turn swiftly on her feet and rush to the door where Rosalie stood giggling. Leah knew why, it's the exact reason why she would do the same if the roles were reversed; far too much temptation. Leah shook her head amusedly and turned back to the forest, stripping her clothes as she went deeper among the trees.

Once she was completely bare to the world, she folded the clothes and placed them at the bottom of a nearby tree for when she got back. Emily would have something she could throw on in La Push.

She cracked her neck from side to side to gain the strength to act civilly when she faced her tribe for the first time since the shit with Jacob had gone down. She never wanted to return to the place where she'd lived her entire life, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

She grinned despite her thoughts as she started to jog between the trees, working up the momentum to propel herself into the air and shift. The moment she landed on all fours her paws dug up the dirt, the muscles in her hind legs contracted and she tore off for La Push in exhilaration.


	18. Chapter 18

**Little Red Riding Hood - PART EIGHTEEN**

**A/N - Hey guys, so this chapter was difficult to write 'cause I hate writing fight scenes or action scenes, or whatever you want to call them...plus as I've mentioned I'm kind of un-inspired with finishing this. I'm hoping to get it finished before the end of the month though, which will be an accomplishment for me. :) Anyways, as always enjoy.  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Leah didn't spend long in La Push talking to Sam. In fact she only stayed long enough to talk about a possible strategy to deal with Jacob. The tribe was on high alert and the pack were out on continuous patrol, and it just so happened she was lucky enough to visit while Paul and Embry were likely to be sleeping given they were patrolling previously. It was a good thing too because she probably wouldn't have been able to stop herself from killing them both...or at least attempting to.

She and Sam spoke briefly about allowing the Cullen's permission to give chase to Jacob over the border if he tried to use that as an obstacle but agreed that ultimately they should be in charge of protecting the people of Forks. However should they need to then obviously Sam had no problems with it.

"I trust them with this more than I'd trust Embry and Paul if the situation was reversed." He'd told her when she asked. Apparently they weren't taking Jacob's descent into madness very well.

The Cullen's were satisfied when she rehashed their conversation and even though they demanded Leah and Bella stay with them for the night for better protection, Bella wanted to go home. Leah knew it was in the hopes of speaking with her father but Charlie wasn't there when they got back, so really the point was naught. There was a note on the fridge; it was short, abrupt and to the point. _Gone to Seattle for work. I won't be home till late tomorrow night. Don't have that woman in my house while I'm gone. _The werewolf hadn't told Bella about the incident in the diner and she wasn't going to. That would only upset Bella further.

So the night was a quiet one, with Bella lost in her own worrisome thoughts of Jacob and Charlie, and Leah watching her and wishing she could take her imprints pain and fear and be the only one who had to suffer.

Suffice to say the night was an early one.

It was the howling rain that woke Leah in the early hours of the morning. The bedroom was dark and the window was being pelted by the elements. Leah could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance, not too far from them, the sky flashing with strike after strike of lightening.

She lay on her side for a few minutes and looked at the door; all the while her mind remained thoughtless. Eventually she closed her eyes and rolled over and it was then that she noticed the heavy inhale and exhale of breath coming from Bella's side of the bed...only she could clearly feel her girlfriend's gentle breathing on her hand. _At least she slept tonight._ And then there was a shuffle...on the hardwood floor.

Leah sprang out of bed faster than anyone would believe possible if she got to retell this story, and it was in that swift movement that she noticed a scent she'd never wanted to smell in the same room as her girlfriend ever again. It was the same hackle-rising scent from the book store earlier. Jacob.

The movement startled Bella awake but the older woman took no notice, she was growling ferociously instead. A large hand shot out for Bella, who was too distracted with her girlfriend to notice, but Leah lunged into the massive body before his tainted touch reached her, sending him tumbling backwards and both of them through the window, shattering the glass with a horrible shriek.

"You stupid dyke!" Jacob's breath was almost as rank now as a werewolf's was when they were phased, as he spat in her face.

"Fuck you!" They broke apart and phased mid air, thinking the same thing; that they needed the upper hand. Bella's cry from above them was one of fear and realization but it went ignored by both.

Leah wasn't able to right herself before impacting with the ground and instead landed on her side. She slid a few metres toward the edge of the forest, knotting her fur with mud and grass, and once she managed to ground her paws into the soaked lawn, she hauled herself to her feet snarling. Jacob was up and scaling the side of her girlfriend's house already, taking advantage of Leah's situation by going for Bella.

Jacob's back was turned and Leah decided that if he wanted to play dirty than so would she and took advantage instantly. Within moments she was coming at him from the side and hissing as her head slammed violently into his ribs, forcing him to fly about four metres from the cover of the forest. A snarl, so primal and vicious, accompanied a rumble of thunder and their bodies collided as Leah ran to meet him halfway, teeth aiming for his flesh in hope of getting a good grip somewhere on him.

The rain obscured her view only minimally so she tried to land her teeth in the most appropriate place, only before she could she felt Jacob's teeth pierce the fatty flesh of her own neck. She hissed as he tossed her away from him like she weighed nothing, advancing on her already rising form with vigor. They tumbled and rolled as they collided and there was a stinging pain in her back as he managed to slam her sideways into a tree. Said tree shook from the collision.

Leah only just got to glance upward toward her girlfriend's window, where she could her flitting around her room in a panic, before she was back to her feet and snarling as she snapped at Jacob's retreating backside. _Stay the fuck away from that window!_

They lunged for one another when he spun around but Leah gave him barely enough time to think and knocked them both backwards into the foliage…away from Bella. He wasn't getting that close to her ever again.

x-o-x

Bella was a mess both physically and mentally. She was crying because what else could she do? Her girlfriend had just threw herself and Jacob out of the window to protect her, and now as she hurriedly spoke to Seth over the phone she could hear them below her. Dog fights freaked her out at the best of times but this was no dog fight, this was an all out fucking battle between werewolves. The sounds she could hear them making as they attacked one another were making her queasy and she refused to look out the window. She just had to wait and hope that the pack would make it in time to help Leah. As the crashes of their bodies colliding disappeared into the distance, Bella knew what Leah was doing and she felt a fresh wave of tears assault her. Selfless, that's the only word Bella could come up with in her panicked state.

She needed to alert the Cullen's so as she put her phone to her ear and heard Edward's velvet calm voice answer, she managed to utter only Jacob's name in a sob before her phone was ripped from her. She yelped and jumped back unprepared for the assault, only to shuffle backward further at who awaited her.

"Imagine meeting you here, Bella." Paul was standing in her doorway, crushing any hopes of escape, with a smirk playing at his lips and her phone sitting crumbled in his grasp.

x-o-x

Leah didn't know what she was going to do. They were deep in the forest now, away from town and away from Bella. That was all she knew. She was so distracted defending herself against Jacob's incessant attacks that she couldn't work out the scents and the sounds around them. If she didn't pay attention, she was as good as dead.

Side stepping a blow from the feral werewolf's left paw, which was basically home to the deadliest claws in the animal kingdom, Leah sweated about how she was going to get the upper hand. Neither had it at the moment since they were dancing around one another, but it was only a matter of time until one of them made a mistake, like dodging too quickly or misinterpreting the attack.

_This inability to read his mind is both a fucking blessing and a pain in the arse, _she grunted inwardly, dodging yet another strike. She was desperate to know what he was thinking so she could out smart him and beat him at his own game but as far as she could tell there was no strategy to his moves. They were random and sometimes that could be more dangerous than strategic ones ever could.

Leah couldn't decide what he was doing and so immediately after his next strike, she slammed into his left shoulder, sinking her teeth into the fur of his back and tearing the hairs from his skin as she lunged over top him, away from his own snapping canines.

Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough and those unrepentant canines crashed down upon her tail, causing her to land back on the earth with a hiss. The rain was thankfully slowed by the tree canopy and hit the werewolves with less velocity, ensuring their vision was un-obscured completely. In the darkness of the early morning Leah's yellow eyes were trained on those of Jacob's across from her, both shining with a viciousness that neither had been able to fully unleash upon the other previously. Everything prior to this, right now, paled in comparison to the hatred Leah was feeling, the rage that lashed at her muscles and the determination that fueled those two things before anything else.

Jacob released a heavy and sharp breath as he paced forward and then backward threateningly, taunting her with his canines on proud display. Though no human would notice the blood spotted bald patch on his back, Leah could and she wished he could read her thoughts so he knew just how satisfied she was. He probably already knew though, just like she knew he would be impressed with himself for nicking her tail.

Not in any mood to roll over to the male werewolf, who smelt ripe of a mixture of alpha blood and disgrace, Leah growled in challenge, lifting her upper lip over her canines. In other words..._bring it on fucker!_

Together they toppled over a thick and otherwise quite sturdy tree. They tore up the earth with shattering strength, and crushed boulders beneath their massive bodies as they were thrown and slammed, tossed and dragged. The mud coated their bloodied fur, slashes healing only to be reopened with new ones.

Leah didn't want to think about how badly the deeper ones might scar. Luckily, or probably not so luckily, that was the last thing on her mind when she mistook Jacob's lunge for a swipe, and ended up tumbling over onto her back with Jacob hovering over her, panting and drooling like a fucking animal.

He pressed the entirety of his weight down upon her ribs, and his claws, so sharp and deadly, were sinking, though not by much, into her. She found it hard to breathe with the extra weight. Those eyes of his were alight with triumph but Leah refused to go down without a fight. If she was going to lose, he was going to fucking go with her. _You won't get to her!_

The barbaric snarl that left her lips as she lifted her head upwards toward his face forced Jacob to jerk backwards, but never enough to make him lose focus. He growled and snapped far too close to Leah's face for her own liking. His intentions were in his posture and the strength he exerted, and it was clear. He didn't want to make it quick and painless, her death that is, but he also wanted to get back to _her _imprint. He was going to kill her quickly, albeit grudgingly.

Seth came flying through the air and into Jacob before he could end her though, or even attempt to, and sent the wild werewolf sideways off of Leah. Seth lunged at him open-mouthed with a growl, canines dripping with contempt, missing his head and getting his ear instead. It tore off with a clean spray of blood and even Leah was a little sickened by the sheer amount of red liquid that the wound leaked. That didn't last long though for she quickly remembered how they had got in this situation in the first place, and she snarled as she and her brother united to corner him against a tree.

This was what Leah had been waiting for. She could feel the victory on her tongue already, feel it tugging at her lips in the form of a wolf-like grin. It wasn't ideal but it was his death at her hands, so that would have to do. Ideal would be having Bella beside her rather than Seth, where together they could tear the meaty flesh from his bones and disembowel him. Life wasn't always that simple, though.

So lost in her thoughts of his guts joining the rain to soak the earth, Leah failed to notice in time as another werewolf steadily approached from behind them. By the time she had noticed Embry's scent, it was too late. The next few things happened quickly.

Embry's jaws latched onto Leah's back leg. Jacob lunged for Leah's anguished snarl of a face, and Seth, startled, lunged for Jacob's throat. Chaos erupted between the four werewolves.

x-o-x

"I did a good job at fooling those dicks, huh?"

Paul casually glanced around the room that belonged to the object of Jacob's obsession from where the rain was ruining the carpet because of the smashed window, to where said object of Jacob's obsession lay tied, bound and crying on her bed. He chuckled at the hysterical, terrified wide eyes she cast toward him.

"I don't think anybody would've thought Embry and me were helping Jacob all this time. We kept him informed about everything." He reminisced with a faraway look in his eyes. "I want what he has. I want the freedom, the thrill of taking a life…I want it all, and I will get it. Jacob just has to take care of that pest of a girlfriend of yours first." Bella groaned against the clothing stuffed in her mouth, her nose clogged with snot and her limbs shaking in their bindings. The werewolf grinned. "What? Jacob will destroy her, you know? He might even bring her head back for you to kiss goodbye."

Bella cried harder as he got to his feet, the smirk never leaving his lips.

"You're a very beautiful woman, Bella. Jacob's a lucky man 'cause I would love to do what he plans to do to you tonight. Who knows, maybe he'll decide that Embry and I can have a go at you too?" He jumped up onto the bed from the bottom, crawling over her body in a way that had Bella trembling and crying harder. His skin never once touched hers, but she could feel his breath on her lips and her stomach churned fearfully. He laughed and licked his dry lips in a sickening way. "Relax doll face, I've been given strict instructions to keep my hands to myself. Jacob would…well I don't even want to think about what would happen if I went against him like that."

He tugged the cloth from her mouth and closed his eyes as her stuttering pleas reached his ears. _So this is what Jake was talking about. This feeling of…elation is unbelievable. _Opening his eyes Paul allowed his hand to drift to her throat, re-thinking his actions quickly and snatching it back to his side. His expression never changed from that sickening sense of satisfaction.

"It's such a shame you're so tainted by your _love _for Leah. She'd be attractive too, if she wasn't such a carpet munching dyke." Noticing how Bella's eyes steeled at his words but she refused to verbally respond, he prodded some more. "Come on Bells, you gotta admit that she's a disgrace to the tribe right? She's nothing but a pathetic, weak, dysfunctional, inferior, trashy, uptight little _dyke_."

"Shut up!" Bella cried angrily, "At least she's not some small pricked little arsehole!"

The smirk fell from Paul's face and he growled as his hand shot out, only this time it wasn't to caress her throat. His open palm hit her cheek with so much force that her head snapped to the side, a moan of pain leaving her bitten lower lip. It throbbed so badly that for a moment Bella worried that the hit had to have shaken her brain. _Oh fuck, that hurts so bad._

He shoved the cloth in her mouth once more and hopped off the bed, landing on the floor with a dull thud, his face a furious calm.

"If we could shut you women up like that every day, there wouldn't be any problem among our tribe or mankind." Paul muttered to himself before turning to the dazed brunette splayed on the bed. "Better watch your mouth once Jacob gets here, he won't be so _gentle _with you. He'll be all riled up after killing that bitch you love."

Bella's eyes closed and her heart hammered, vibrating painfully up her body all the way to poor swelling face. It felt like someone was poking it repeatedly. _Hurry, please Leah._


	19. Chapter 19

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART NINETEEN**

**A/N - So, one more chapter to go! The next one will be set a few years into the future... but I haven't decided what I'm going to write yet, so bear with me. :) As always, enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

Leah was feeling the ache in her leg long after the wound began to heal up. It felt like Embry's teeth had broken through the fucking bone when he bit her and unfortunately for her he'd bitten so deep that with all the maneuvering she was doing it wasn't healing fast enough.

With the sun rising in the distance, the forest was beginning to get lighter and with that light, Leah was able to see the destruction they had laid upon the poor forest. Trees were dented in the form of their bodies exactly as they had collided with them. Blood from all four of the werewolves was splattered over every inch of the ground and if anyone dared to follow the trail, both of destruction and blood, the sight that awaited them would've terrified them. Sam had joined in not long after Embry had arrived, and now as he and Seth fought to keep Embry at bay and take him down, Leah was trying to do the same with Jacob only by herself. Quil was protecting the council members and the tribe and no matter what he heard from Sam and Seth's thoughts, he was to stay there.

Jacob for the most part was in no better shape than Leah herself. Both were limping but still they attacked one another in vengeance, fighting off their exhaustion and refusing to admit defeat. There was one difference between them both, though. Whereas Leah had taken the jaws to her leg, Jacob had taken a claw to his face and unfortunately for him that claw had damaged one of his eyes… badly. He could barely see out of it now.

It was getting difficult for Jacob to dodge Leah's brutality unscathed, and with each offensive swipe at him Leah was able to easily draw blood. He was panicking, that much was obvious. His moves were jerky and erratic, and that was not the sign of someone confident. Their chase led them further away from the others to where there was no other fight but their own, and even closer in the direction where they had originally come from. Leah wasn't having that.

She snarled a deep rumble from within her chest and pumped her legs faster to pick up her pace, catching Jacob's left paw between her jaws while at the same time digging her own paws into the ground enough to stop them both from going further. She twisted her head to the side and Jacob's massive body flew violently in that direction, a bark that resembled a pained groan leaving his lips as he slid through the scrubs, rocks and leaves.

Jacob smelt them before he saw them, the Cullen's that is, and with dawning comprehension he knew that if he wanted to get out of this mess he needed to draw the big guns. _No way are these fuckers beating me!_

He stood to his feet slowly, wincing as he blindly slapped at a rock that had ingrained itself in the bottom of his front paw.

Part of the Cullen family stood in one line, watching him through narrowed golden hues. Carlisle and Esme were poised calmly but their daughter's were not so controlling of their anger. They were crouched low with their teeth on display and a growl on their lips, daring Jacob to even try and get past them. Looking over his shoulder he found Leah pacing an invisible line, a far more vicious expression gracing her features, if that was even possible.

Reluctantly shifting back to his battered human form, Jacob heaved a groan which turned into a chuckle, and gripped the branch of the nearest tree to hold himself up. His damaged eye was milky white with his lack of sight and a scar, puffy and red raw, marred his face horribly. Leah imagined it hurt to laugh but he still did it regardless.

"So this is it, huh? You can't defeat me single handedly, so you call in the leeches? Fucking disgraceful." Leah sent him a look that clearly told him to keep his mouth shut but it went ignored. He smirked. "You know... Paul's visiting Bella right about now. Wanna know what I've got him doing to that slut?"

A fearsome snarl thundered the area and the female werewolf advanced on the shifted male with hatred. His expression didn't waver in his new found confidence.

"You shouldn't be so rational about this, dyke. Paul thinks she's fucking beautiful, you know? At least beautiful enough to screw her." He laughed at her growl.

"You know mutt, I think Leah's more concerned with killing you. And besides..." Rosalie spoke up coldly, the sound causing both wolves to look over. "The boys have already taken care of that bastard." She smirked at his incredulous snort, "Oh, I'm not lying, shithead. His body is being torn to pieces and burnt to ashes as we speak... just for precautions sake of course. My Emmett took great pleasure in taking his life."

Leah made a sound in her throat that reminded Rosalie of her chuckle, and continued her advance with the knowledge that he had nowhere to go. The Cullen's wouldn't let him out of the vicinity.

"You're lying!" Jacob shouted just before he put himself through a violent change and lunged for Rosalie, completely forgetting about Leah in his fury. The blonde vampire snorted, _what a dickhead._

Rosalie waited until he was just before her and then propelled herself into the trees above, just in time to dodge Leah's brutal attack on him from his blind side. The other Cullen's joined her in the branches, watching raptly from above as the female werewolf pummeled her once alpha with a greater vengeance than they had ever witnessed.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Carlisle murmured in awe. Leah was maneuvering much better and Carlisle guessed it was because she had forgotten about the pain in her leg in her haste. He was confident she'd be able to heal properly when given the chance.

They watched as the upper hand went from Leah to Jacob and then back to Leah as she shattered Jacob's ribs on impact with the ground, landing on him with her entire body weight.

"Most definitely," Alice agreed with her father. She'd never witnessed something like this before and she was saddened that Jasper missed out on the opportunity to see it. He loved these sorts of things, loved to learn new tactics and moves… and these were definitely moves that he would never have seen before. She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind though and focused on the two werewolves. "I can't see the outcome but I know it won't favor Jacob in the least."

"Is that the werewolf equivalent to crying?" Rosalie couldn't stop herself from snickering at the pathetic noises Jacob was making at Leah's hands. Esme didn't find it amusing or intriguing, she was far too concerned to even think about it.

Jacob was able to overpower the female werewolf even through his intense pain and humiliation, and the tender female vampire tensed at the howl that left Leah's throat. It was agonized and _that _was definitely the werewolf equivalent to a scream. Jacob had slashed her chest. Deeply.

"Carlisle, she needs help!" Esme fretted quietly, gripping her husband's arm tightly. "She's injured."

"So is he. We don't interfere until she shows us that is what she needs. This is her victory to be had, Esme, not ours." He never allowed his gaze to waver from the vicious fight before them. His eyes were wide as he watched them lunge and hurl, bite and tear at each other. "It won't be long now. Look."

All four vampires were enraptured by the spray of blood that came from Jacob's jugular, even Esme, as Leah's claw sliced his throat with deadly precision. If the blood hadn't smelt so foul to them, it would've been vampire heaven. The thick liquid covered everything, the other werewolf included, and continued to steadily leak from the four deep flesh wounds across his neck. The blood spat disgustingly through his clenched canines and apparently ran into his esophagus as he gurgled and wheezed, trying to get air past the blood into his lungs. His phasing was subconscious and in an enemy's eyes, defeat.

The rain had stopped for a brief moment until now but as Leah lunged and phased for Jacob, it began again, heavier than before. It stung her slowly healing wounds and washed away her blood that coated her naked flesh as well as Jacob's. Their bodies slammed back down into the muddy earth together, as seemed to be the place for this battle. His leg bent beneath him awkwardly and was crushed under their weight, snapping angrily and bringing forth a gurgled scream from the choking man.

Panting and in pain, Leah brought her fist to his face with all her pent up fury and the impact made a horrible echo throughout the area and off the trees. Leah growled.

"You're dead, you hear me? For Bella. For all those innocent women... for everybody who's suffered because of your actions!" She damned him, drilling him in the face once more.

"S-stop... I'm... s-s-sorry. D-don't ... p-p-please." He coughed and blood splurged upward, hitting Leah in the face. The female wolf paused in her assault and frowned, his blood dripping off her face and back down onto him. _Is he pleading for his life? Seriously? _ Leah curled her lip over her teeth in utter disgust. He really was pleading for his life. _How pathetic._

"Go to hell, Jacob." And with that growl of contempt Leah phased atop him, pushing past the pain and even catching him with her claws by accident. An added bonus.

His eyes widened through his haze of pain and a tortured cry left his lips as those sharp, blood dripped canines closed around his head and tore it clean off. Eerie silence followed his head dropping heavily beside his slumped body, which was beneath the now once again human Leah.

She fell back backward onto her backside, the energy, the determination... it was all suddenly gone and now she was just drained, emotionally and physically. She'd never been so grateful to feel someone other than Bella press up behind her and support her heavily exhausted body. Rosalie was a god send, she really was.

"Leah! Are you okay? You're bleeding!" Seth jumped over a scrub as naked as the day he was born, and the female werewolf groaned as she covered her eyes.

"Put that thing away, would you?" She loved Seth but she didn't need to see that. That horrible image would be burned into her retina until the day she died. She was in enough fucking pain as it was.

Seth blushed as he felt the eyes of the Cullen's on him and covered his manhood with his hands. "Sorry... I uh, wasn't thinking." Clearing his throat he slipped on a pair of shorts that Sam handed him and knelt in front of his sister, moving her hair to the side to look at the angry slashes down her neck and over her chest. He purposely kept his eyes off her chest. "Jesus, Leah…"

"Yeah, I know. Carlisle, I think my ribs are healing in the wrong position." She hissed as Rosalie slowly lowered her down onto her back, gasping as Carlisle's cool fingers prodded her midsection almost as soon as the words had left her lips. Apparently he was anxious to get to work. "Fuck that shit hurts. Be careful."

Sam and Seth stood back to give the doctor room while his daughter held Leah's head in her lap, genuine concern etched onto her face. Esme and Alice watched on silently from behind them.

"Embry's dead." Sam said quietly, almost distractedly as he watched his ex-love moan in pain as the doctor examined her internal and external wounds. "I should get back to the others and let them know what's happening. Hopefully Paul will have turned up."

"Paul's dead." Alice stated matter-of-factly. "He was working with Jacob and broke into Bella's house."

Sam nodded sadly, "I thought as much. Should I send anyone over to check on her? Seth maybe you should go."

Rosalie shook her head, her hands covered in the werewolf's blood. "No need, Edward's there at the moment and my guess is he'll be bringing her over to our house. Leah needs medical attention."

"Yes, I'll have to take you back to our house to re-position your broken ribs and let them set. You won't be moving for a few days at least. A blood transfusion may be needed also, if your body cannot replace it quickly enough. " Carlisle informed the groaning werewolf gently. Looking up at the other two male werewolves', he sighed. "Emmett and Jasper will bring Paul's ashes and Jacob's body to the border for you. You'll take care of Embry's corpse, I gather?"

Sam once again nodded, his voice saddened. "I'll have Quil and myself meet you. Thank you for your help and… look after Leah."

Esme didn't want to be thanked for what they had just done. Sure, those wolves had deserved far worse but that didn't make her feel any less horrible about what had taken place. She looked to the body laying caked in mud and blood and tugged her wet hair behind her ears and off her face.

"Don't thank us for helping take the lives of three people from your tribe. Please. Killing a human isn't something we pride ourselves in doing or associating with, even with someone as deserving as Jacob and the two others." Esme voiced regrettably. She looked into Sam's eyes. "I'm sorry for this. I really am."

"You shouldn't be." He glanced down at Jacob's body and shook his head in disappointment. "All three of them brought this upon themselves. Come on, Seth, we should get back."

Seth nodded and looked the doctor, who was kneeling over his sister, in the eye. "Please take care of her. Mum and I will be over sometime during the day."

As he and Sam were walking away Leah grumbled loud enough for him to hear, "I'm fucking injured, not deaf."

x-o-x

"So yeah, I don't know all the details but apparently Leah was ferocious. Jacob didn't stand a chance, really." Edward finished quietly, glancing away from the road to glance at Bella briefly. "You'd be proud of her, Bella."

Chuckling lightly, Bella pulled the packet of peas away from her face. Her cheek was swollen still and beginning to bruise but she was in nowhere near as much pain as her girlfriend was. She knew this. Edward told her what to expect when they got to the Cullen's and truth be told, Bella was anxious to get there.

"I am proud of her and I can't wait to tell her as much." She placed the peas back on her face gently, or at least tried to. It wasn't gentle enough though, as she groaned. "Jesus, if my face is hurting this bad I don't want to imagine how much pain Leah is in. Can you drive a little faster? I really need to see her."

Edward smirked lightly, "Your truck doesn't go any faster, Bella."

x-o-x

Leah wasn't conscious when Bella arrived at the Cullen's. Carlisle was checking her over when Edward escorted her into the room and apparently she was in so much pain that the vampire had to slip her some morphine. She refused to take it, so slipping it was necessary.

He explained gently that he had re-broken her ribs and stitched up her wounds the best he could so they would heal faster, before checking Bella's own swollen face and giving her an ice pack from his freezer and some pills to numb the pain. He left her with the werewolf then, with strict instructions to be very gentle with her and around her.

"You can climb in beside her, just be sure not to jostle her. She may come in and out of consciousness but that's entirely normal for someone with her supernatural abilities." Carlisle had smiled. "I'll be back in a little while to give her some more morphine but until then… I think I'm going to take a shower."

Leah had been cleaned, too, by the women of the house and Bella was grateful. She wasn't entirely sure she could have handled seeing the blood on her. It was hard enough to see the slashes that Edward had mentioned in the car on the way over. They were vicious looking and went all the way to the tops of her breasts. She hated Jacob even more in that moment for what he'd put her girlfriend through. There were a few lacerations here and there and her midsection was tapped up, but other than that her throat and chest was the worst of her injuries.

"Bella…" Leah whispered like she knew Bella was there beside her, and the human's heart swelled at the unconscious gesture. Of course, Leah would know she was there.

Gently the brunette took her lover's hand and stroked her thumb over her knuckles in the sweetest way she possibly could.

"I'm right here, Lee. I'm not going anywhere." Kissing her forehead with the utmost of care, Bella laid back against the pillows, never once removing her hand from her girlfriend's and closed her eyes.

Sue and Seth came in at some point during the day, Bella was almost positive of that, but she was far too exhausted to pull herself from her dreams to entertain them. They whispered words of encouragement to both of them, Leah mostly which was understandable, and Carlisle came in every few hours or so to drug Leah up some more. The werewolf hadn't woken all day and it wasn't until about six that night when Bella needed to use the bathroom. "I'll be right back, baby."

She used the bathroom as quickly as she could and when she came back into the room Esme was sitting by the bottom of the bed with a tray of sandwiches. Bella's stomach rumbled.

"I thought you might be hungry but I didn't want to wake you up." The vampire giggled as she held out the tray. "But since you're awake now, how about you take a few?"

"Thank you." With a grateful smile she snatched one up in her hand and settled back carefully onto the bed, watching the vampire with curious eyes. "You know, we really appreciate this… looking after us and stuff again."

"Sweetheart, you and Leah are always welcome here. By goodness, if you wanted to live here Carlisle and I would decorate this room to suit both of your personalities!" Smiling widely, she watched at the brunette scoffed down her sandwich and reached for another. "I would love to cook meals every night. Roast pork with homemade apple sauce one night, and a big juicy steak the next!"

Bella chuckled at Esme's excited expression and dug into her sandwich, "That all sounds pretty good. We might just take you up on your offer of dinner at some point."

Esme smiled and handed her another sandwich as Bella finished the last, before looking across at the slumbering werewolf.

"She's looking better then she was this morning. Has she woken up at all?"

Bella shook her head, still munching on her sandwich. "No." She swallowed and looked over at her girlfriend worriedly. "Was she supposed to?"

"No sweetie, everything will be fine. I was just curious, is all. I should probably get going. I'm sure you don't want me hovering over you both when she wakes up." Esme was about to stand but before she could, Bella reached out to clasp the vampire's cool hand in her own. Curious golden eyes looked over at the brunette in concern. "Bella, is everything okay?"

"Stay, please. I don't mind, the company would be nice actually." A light blush spread over her cheeks and Esme, who found it absolutely adorable, placed the tray aside and gave her a small smile.

"I'd love to stay! I'll be back in a moment, I'm just going to get a little something to sit on."

Esme disappeared and after a few moments she was back… only she was carrying a sofa chair in her arms. With ease. She placed it down beside Bella and settled in comfortably with her legs tucked underneath her, only then just taking in Bella's small grin.

"That's little, Esme?"

Esme giggled and straightened out her clothes, a smug little smirk on her face. "It is for me, yes. Now here, drink this. I'm sure all those sandwiches made you thirsty."

Accepting the can of coke, Bella grinned. "Only a little, though." That resulted in an eye roll from the vampire, albeit an amused and contented one. Bella cracked it open and took a sip, taking her lover's hand in her own once more. "Thank you, Esme, really. I'm sure Leah will appreciate you waiting it out with us."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, you don't need to thank me. I do what I do for you both because I want to do it, and I'm here because I love and care for you." The two women looked at each other sweetly and Bella only looked away when she felt her girlfriend shift. A groan left Leah's parted lips and her eyes opened only an inch before shutting once more, yet another groan leaving her lips. "Carlisle? Leah needs some more morphine." Esme spoke gently as Bella gave a shaky, relieved chuckle.

"Hey baby." Leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the werewolf's forehead, Bella gave Leah's hand a gentle squeeze. "I was worried about you."

Carlisle entered the room and was beside Leah when she answered in her weakened, slurry voice; weakened because of her injuries and slurry because of the drugs in her system. "Stay… with me… please."

"Always." She promised in a whisper, peering down at her with a tenderness the vampire's rarely saw in human love. Carlisle gave a reassuring smile as he noticed the tears in her eyes before checking Leah's injuries gently.

"How much pain are you in, Leah?" He inquired seriously and when the only response he got was a grunt, he nodded even though he knew she wouldn't see it. "Yes, stupid question. Sorry. I'm going to give you another dose, okay? Hopefully the next time you wake you'll be almost fully healed."

"Bells…" The werewolf murmured groggily as Carlisle injected more morphine into the tube he'd inserted into her arm earlier. She was fighting off the unconsciousness if only for a few seconds, just so she could get what she wanted to say off her chest. "I love… you… so much."

Bella gave a teary smile and brought Leah's prone hand to her mouth, placing a kiss there softly. "I love you, too. Get some rest and get better, alright? I'm not leaving your side."


	20. Chapter 20

**Little Red Riding Hood – PART TWENTY**

**A/N - And here it is people! The last chapter. I'd like to thank all of my readers and reviewers, without you guys this wouldn't have gotten finished. I know this is short but I couldn't help that. I had my graduation today, and tomorrow I have my formal and the after party and yeah, I wasn't going to get time to write more. I have my HSC in two weeks or something and I need to study, hence why I rushed to get this finished. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and please don't forget to take the time and let me know what you think. Thanks!  
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**Disclaimer – Twilight belongs to SM.**

_Five years later:_

"It's raining again."

Leah licked her lips and yawned tiredly, stretching out her hands in search of her lover only to find Bella's spot empty, which in itself was unusual. Bella was almost always beside her when the werewolf woke up. She cracked an eye open curiously and smiled at the sight awaiting her.

"You know... all of Seattle might be seeing what I'm seeing right now." A lazy grin settled on Leah's lips as her girlfriend tilted her head in her direction, her body completely bare except for the reading glasses on her face. Bella had started wearing them a few months back.

"From all the way up here, I don't think so baby." Bella moved away from the window of their bedroom, sliding back into bed beside her lover while at the same time placing her glasses on the bedside table. She wasted no time in rolling over onto the werewolf and straddling her with a cheeky smirk. She loved this bed. Who was she kidding? She loved this whole fucking apartment. "Now that you're finally awake... maybe I can repay you for last night? I know I was tired the, but I'm not now."

Their lips met briefly and the werewolf groaned as her girlfriend's tongue touched and teased her own. She'd never get used to that... especially since she was aware of what that tongue of hers could really do. She could barely concentrate with Bella's tongue in her mouth and with her manoeuvring in between her legs, pushing against her pulsing centre with so much pent up desire. So imagine her surprise when those delicious fingers of Bella's started a slow decent down Leah's belly and between her thighs.

"Fucking hell," Leah pulled back gasping for breath as she subconsciously lifted her hips in time with those heavenly fingers. "It's your...oh god...birthday."

Bella's mouth descended upon Leah's breasts and gently she caressed the scars at the tops of her breasts. They'd faded drastically over the years but they still looked painful regardless of Leah promising otherwise. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, Bella nipped and kissed her way further down until her warm mouth encompassed one of Leah's nipples. The werewolf hissed and her hands wound into chocolate locks in a familiar show of desire. Bella pulled back only slightly.

"The birthday girl always gets what she wants, so shut up and let me have my wicked way with you."

x-o-x

"We need to get ready, Leah." A giggle escaped Bella's lips as she tried in vain to wiggle her way free from under her lover. Large hands kept the brunette's arms pinned to the mattress, and a dirty smirk found its way onto the werewolf's face, one that made Bella surge with warmth. She groaned. "Don't give me that look baby or we'll never get out of bed. We have to be at the club in an hour."

"So? It's your party. We can be a little late if we want to be." Running her nose up the column of Bella's throat, Leah inhaled and exhaled a quiet growl.

"And have everyone know what we were doing? I don't think so. Now up." She ordered, laughing and rolling out from beneath her girlfriend after she'd successfully distracted her by running her hand down to that sensitive place on Leah's hip, ignoring the other woman's tortured grumble as she collapsed face first into the now empty space below her.

"You're such a... a..." Leah wasn't sure how to finish that sentence safely and instead groaned. "Why couldn't we go to dinner instead of lunch? This is cruel."

Leah heard her girlfriend's laugh from their bathroom, followed by her teasing reply, "Because I have plans to skip dinner and go straight to desert."

The werewolf immediately perked up and lifted her head with a small grin, "Really?"

Looking at her girlfriend from the bathroom where she was leaning against the door casually, Bella smiled as her lover's eyes, well, loved her body really. Leah's eyes were dark, intense, and didn't leave any part of Bella untouched by her gaze.

"If you get out of bed to shower with me. You can even have your choice of desert."

In her haste to get to her girlfriend, who had already turned her back and disappeared back into the bathroom with a teasing smirk playing on her lips, Leah got tangled in the blankets and near broke her neck as she tripped. She cursed loudly as she stumbled onto the carpet and then cursed again, this time jokingly, when Bella laughed, somehow knowing exactly what had happened just from the sound alone. Leah smiled and started for the bathroom. They'd both done it often enough.

Later at the club, which was obviously children friendly, Bella was harassed with happy birthday greetings by every one of her friends and family. Some had even flown into Seattle for the weekend just to fuss over her and give her their presents. Obviously they didn't believe the post was sufficient enough for this particular celebration and that made Bella want to whine and groan. She hated the attention but Alice had gone to a lot of trouble to organise it and invite people... so she kept her mouth shut.

Renee and Phil had even flew in from Florida with Bella's little four year old half-sister for the occasion. That was an unexpected surprise but a surprise nonetheless. Bella even cried a little when she saw the three familiar faces.

Leah and Bella were enamoured with Renee and Phil's little Ellie, and for the most part she stayed glued to the couple. Ellie even refused to go to Renee as Bella and Leah were forced to awkwardly greet Charlie and his new girlfriend when they arrived. It was a little creepy having a stepmother who was her girlfriend's biological age of thirty. Sure, Leah didn't look a day over twenty five... but it was still weird to know that her own father, even if he wasn't on great terms with Bella anymore, was sleeping with someone Leah's age. It was little disturbing Leah agreed, once Charlie and Adelaide had gone off to the bar and Bella had voiced her opinion.

"Why is he even here? He doesn't even fucking like me." Leah had muttered in her lover's ear, mindful enough of Ellie to keep her voice down.

"I _love_ you, it shouldn't matter what he thinks." Bella had assured her with a chaste kiss to the lips. When Ellie complained about the lack of attention, Bella giggled and gave her tiny sister a peck on the cheek also, followed quickly by Leah who was then smiling and easily forgetting Charlie's presence. If he wanted to be that way then so be it, she wasn't going to let it spoil the day.

Sam and a heavily pregnant Emily were there also, standing by the buffet and talking quietly with Carlisle and Esme, and later joined by Sue. Sue and Esme were practically the best of friend's these days now that the Quileute woman was living with neither of her children to occupy her time.

Seth had been living with a girl from New York in Seattle for a little while but their relationship had be doomed from the beginning for obvious reasons, and they ended up splitting on bad terms. Leah couldn't blame the woman for being bitter. Seth shouldn't have started a relationship with her in the first place. It all worked out in the end though, Leah supposed. Seth went back home for a few days to lick his wounds, though she doubted they would've been too bad compared to his ex, and ran into Angela while there. Apparently she and Ben had came to a mutual agreement to break their relationship off when Ben admitted he had kissed Edward sometime after Seth had left for New York.

Now, as Angela and Seth stood wrapped in one another's arms talking animatedly with some of Leah and Bella's friends, it was hard to believe they had ever tried to deny their connection. It seemed stupid now.

Edward called Bella regularly and even though he and Ben were unable to make it to the party because they were holidaying overseas, they were ridiculously happy. So happy, in fact, that Ben was going to be changed soon.

It made Leah happy to think back on all these things, and far easier to handle her girlfriend's somewhat childish father. It honestly didn't matter that he didn't speak to Leah specifically. All that mattered was that he was still there for Bella regardless of her relationship with Leah, even if it _was_ without enthusiasm.

The day passed quickly on that particular note. Ellie eventually left to go play with Rosalie and Alice out in the gardens, and even though the brunette loved her little sister dearly, she was happy to simply enjoy her moment of freedom with a glass of wine and her girlfriend's lips on her throat.

All in all it was probably one of the best birthday's Bella had ever had and she knew she would need to call Alice later to tell the vampire as much. Now however, in the sanctuary and quietness of her and Leah's apartment, Bella was far too distracted to even care about Alice or her party or... anything really.

"I can't believe we've never done this before..."

Bella whimpered and arched back into her lover, her sex clenching in the most delicious way to the mere sound of her lover's raspy voice in her ear.

"You taste like the most teasing mixture of strawberry cream and sex. Do you know that?" Leah moaned, licking her lips after having devoured the trail of whipped cream from her girlfriend's arse up to the back of her neck, nipping the flesh there bitingly. She groaned and brought her own hands to join Bella's where they gripped the countertop painfully, pushing herself harder against her backside. "Do you want me?"

"Fuck yes." The brunette breathed, squirming as she felt those strong hands move to grip her hips with just the right amount of pressure for it not to be overbearingly painful. Never before had the kitchen been exposed to this part of their love as they rarely had sex anywhere but their bedroom and their bathroom.

"Yeah?" Slipping a hand between the juncture of Bella's thighs, Leah growled as her fingers came into contact with her slick excitement. She chuckled, "Yeah, you do."

"Lee!" Moaning loudly, much to the werewolf's pleasure, Bella's knees wobbled and her chin sunk to her chest, knuckles whitening as she clenched the counter tighter. _Those fucking fingers, _Bella moaned relentlessly, eyes rolling into the back of her head as Leah stroked her, gathering her slickness and coating her fingers so that they slid with familiar ease. "Oh shit, baby... oh god."

When three of those fingers slid into Bella's grasping depths, she cried out again even louder than before. Her slick insides held onto Leah's fingers with everything she had and the hard thrusting of them caused the brunette to grow dizzier and dizzier in pleasure, her moans louder and endless. Lips, tongue and teeth made a welcome path down her neck and along her shoulder, sinking into the flesh with a particularly deep thrust of Leah's fingers, causing Bella to tremble and scream out at the sheer _feeling _behind it.

It didn't take Bella long to come apart, surprisingly, with a much quieter breathy moan. Their mouths locked over the brunette's shoulder together and instantly they morphed into one being of hot, sticky sweat and sex. The werewolf's toned front moulded perfectly into her lover's curvy back and slowly, sensually, Leah's slippery fingers lifted to Bella's now smiling face. Leah watched with panting breath as her girlfriend stopped her hand's accent by grasping her wrist, winking as she shakily reached for the can of whipped cream on the counter.

Bella sprayed it on the slick digits before proceeding to take two of Leah's flavour coated fingers into her mouth, saving the third for the werewolf herself. The brunette hummed a contented moan, licking her smirking lips and savouring the flavour by devouring her lover's mouth once Leah had finished cleaning off her third digit.

"You taste amazing, as always." Leah murmured. She turned her lover around by the hips and pressed her against the counter, licking the cream from the corner of Bella's mouth. "You never last long when I take you from behind."

Leaning forward to brush her lips upon the scars on Leah's throat and chest, Bella chuckled, "Are you complaining?"

"Does it look like I'm complaining?"

"You're answering with a question." The brunette teased, kissing her girlfriend's lips sweetly and taking her hand, tugging her in the direction of their bedroom. "Come on... you've made me ravenous."

Leah grabbed the can of whipped cream before she followed her lover through their apartment, switching off the lights as she passed them. _This is gonna be awesome, _Leah grinned giddily.

The moment their bodies collapsed upon the silken sheets of their bed, hands wandered and lips explored the familiar canvas laid out before and above them. Breathy moans and sloppy kisses could be heard, and the slick slapping of flesh mingled between the two also. Leah's hips continued their thrusting motions in time with the hungry thrusting of her tongue into Bella's mouth, trying with every muscle in her body to taste and experience the brunette fully. Her arms burned with the effort to make her lover fall apart in her arms for god knows what time that night.

"Lee, Lee... so close... _oh my god_." Chest flushed and heaving, Bella never looked any more beautiful to the werewolf than she did while they were making love. Hands dug into each of Leah's arse cheeks, pushing and pulling her closer and harder between pale legs. "Please baby!"

Leah's lips closed around Bella's pulse point on her neck and she could feel her own small orgasm building up regardless of not having her lover's fingers touch her. She lowered her hand down between them and traced small circles around the brunette's clit, coaxing her over the edge, hips never once hesitating in their rapid movements.

_Fuck me, _was all that was going through Bella's head as she lost herself, even wishing to be drowned, in the pleasure that the werewolf was bestowing on her. One little roll of her girlfriend's hips was all that it took to clench around the toy buried within her and climax with a scream of Leah's name. The intensity of the pulsing moans reverberating off the bedroom walls as well as the delicious, if not a little painful, nails raking down her back sent the werewolf over the edge, groaning quietly into her lover's throat. Her arms collapsed beneath her as the pleasure trembled through her, and as much as she knew she should roll off her human lover, she continued to lie there, panting and nipping sweetly at Bella's racing pulse point.

She gently removed the toy from her girlfriend and after a little help from Bella, managed to tug it down her hips and kick it onto the floor. Their sweaty bodies were pressed closely together once more as Leah forced her exhaustion to the side enough to roll onto her back and pull her lover into her side. The werewolf could only sigh contentedly as those tender lips of Bella's pressed against her skin and above her slowly calming heart.

"Love you..." Bella's murmur was nothing but a drowsy, content hum as she curled herself into the werewolf's body, sated and loved. Her body felt as heavy as her eyelids, but she fought the heaven of sleep until she heard a murmured 'love you too' from just beside her and felt a familiar warmth settle over her backside in the shape of her Leah's hand.

Neither rose from bed till noon and even then it was only to use the toilet. Bella's iPod was playing quietly on their stereo in the background as they spoke sweetly to one another in between gentle kisses and innocent caresses. It was while Leah was mewling softly because of the soft lips and tongue on her stomach that their conversation slipped into something more serious.

"Do you ever think about children, Leah?" Bella's lips, which continued to caress Leah's stomach, barely lifted at her own soft spoken words. Chocolate Mocha eyes did, however, peer up at the werewolf's face with something akin to longing.

"Yeah, of course I do." The Quileute woman smiled sadly and Bella noticing her girlfriend's change, lifted her lips from her skin and rested her chin on her arms, just below the werewolf's navel. "I... I can't have kids' sweetheart, you know that."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you can't still think about it. It's always on my mind..." Bella admitted, a soft smile gracing her features as she imagined just how children raised by her and Leah would turn out. "It's just... I wish it was as easy for us to have children as it is for everyone else." Her smile fell.

"It wouldn't be hard for us to have children, Bella. I mean, I can't have them but as you said... you can."

Leah, noticing the curious look that her girlfriend gave her, smiled and couldn't refrain from encouraging the brunette upwards so their faces were level. She kissed Bella's lips sweetly, never once allowing her gaze to stray from Bella's.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying, Lee?" The brunette pulled away briefly, raising her eyebrow as she did so. Bella could barely contain her excitement at the prospect of having children with Leah.

"I'd like to start a family with you... when the time is right. I want to age right along with you and our children, and I will. I love you so it's only natural to assume I'd want to settle down with you. I can see it now, actually." The werewolf chuckled light-heartedly, warmly even. "You'll be running around after our little pups until I get home from work on weekdays, and on Sundays we'd go down to the local park for a picnic."

Scoffing, Bella couldn't contain her large grin, "What makes you think you'll be the Papa?"

Tapping Bella's nose, Leah smirked, "I don't think it, I know it. You just don't have the Papa requirements, plus I'm a werewolf so that automatically makes me more masculine than you."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and snuggled back down upon her lover, kissing her throat lovingly. "You can have the Papa title, I don't want it anyways."

"Why is that?"

"Papa's have to not only bring in the cash, but they also have to mow the lawn, shove their hand down the toilet if it's blocked, paint the house when it needs it, fix the cars when they break, keep maintenance on the fe-"

"Alright, I get it!" Leah snickered, running her hands up her lover's back, "But you know having the Mamma title isn't much better. You have to change the diapers, bath them, shop for them – which reminds me – weren't you supposed to go clothes shopping with a certain little pixie today?"

The digital clock on the bedside table said it was about two in the afternoon and both women found it strange that Alice hadn't come in earlier and whisked Bella away in her ever eagerness to buy clothes. Bella's body relaxed even further into her girlfriend.

"Maybe she forgot?" Bella wondered hopefully aloud, smiling at the possibility of getting to stay in bed even longer. Her hopes were crushed though when Leah laughed and told her the little mischievous vampire had just entered the apartment with her spare key, which by the way was for emergencies, and was impatiently complaining about the scent of their lovemaking.

"Guess we got a little carried away last night." Leah joked to her girlfriend, rolling her eyes when she got a glare in return. "What? It's our apartment it's allowed to be saturated with the aroma of our love."

"As beautiful as that is," Alice sang from just outside their bedroom door, a teasing hint to her tone, "If you don't get out here in half an hour, showered and dressed, I will storm in there and throw your naked arse in the shower myself. We have shopping to do!"

Leah snickered and whispered under her breath, "Sucks to be you, Bella."

"Don't you start, Leah." The vampire warned firmly. "Rosalie has cancelled on you today and therefore, you're coming shopping with us. Now up, those stores are only open for so many hours."

It was Bella's time to snicker this time. Karma's a bitch.

The werewolf received a peck on the nose and a cheeky smile from her girlfriend as she laughed, "Sucks to be you, Papa."


End file.
